Havana Cuba. – In July 2013, a consignment of weapons hidden on the cargo ship was confiscated Chong Chon Gangwho was traveling from Cuba to North Korea, with an eight-hour stopover in the Panama Canal. The ship tried to go unnoticed in its violation of Panamanian and international regulations, but the Canal Government acted immediately and placed the case in the hands of the United Nations.
According to media outlets that gave extensive coverage to the incident, beneath the 10,000 tons of sugar the ship was carrying were another 240 tons of undeclared weapons, including various vehicles associated with surface-to-air missile systems, 25 containers occupied with the parts of two MIG-21 fighter planes, and another 15 engines for that type of ship.
As a result of the serious violation, 32 of the 35 crew members were arrested, and North Korea was forced to pay a heavy fine. In addition, the sugar was confiscated and auctioned off because it is a perishable product.
In its report on the case, the United Nations determined that Cuba had violated the arms embargo that weighed on North Korea, and questioned whether it was an obsolete weapon that was sent to the Asian country to be repaired and later returned to the Island, justification used by the Cuban government.
According to the report, the weapons were in good condition and the documents found indicated that all the equipment worked according to specifications, or had been calibrated just before packaging. As if that were not enough, certain missile components were still in their original packaging, provided by the Soviet Union.
The experts concluded that the finding showed a clear intention to circumvent UN resolutions that prohibit arms sales to the Pyongyang regime. They also pointed out that the amount of weapons prohibited by international sanctions found in the Chong Chon Gang was the largest since the embargo was imposed.
Evidence of the participation of the North Korean embassy in Havana was found and the experts recorded the denial, on the part of Cuban authoritiesto reveal which entities were involved in the operation.
In February 2014, the Chong Chon Gang was able to set sail back to Cuba. The 32 crew members who had been arrested were released once the Panamanian justice system verified their ignorance of the hidden cargo. The captain of the ship and two troops They were processed for arms trafficking.
