The North Korean flagged Mangyongbong ship has been denied entry to Vladivostok’s port since last Wednesday.

The vessel arrived in the vicinity of Vladivostok on January 31, the NK Pro Ship Tracker showed, but was reportedly denied entry by customs officials on suspicion of carrying goods prohibited for import into Russia by the United Nations Security Council.

Mikhail Timofeevich Khmel, Deputy Director General of InvestStroiTrest – the company which operates the vessel’s Vladivostok to Rason line – told NK News that the ship had been carrying “animal feed” and insisted he and his colleagues “could not” violate sanctions.

“What we have on board is a not-sanctioned cargo,” Khmel said. “We follow laws of Russian Federation and of the DPRK, of course, and the resolutions of the UN.”

“Now the ship is within the borders of the seaport Vladivostok… navigation and customs cannot accept it (or) open the border to it.”

Vladivostok port authorities are yet to respond to repeated requests for comments.

新闻来源: www.vestiprim.ru