WELLINGTON — New Zealand's Defence Force said a long-range P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft observed a possible ship-to-ship transfer of illicit goods suspected of breaching international sanctions in international waters near North Korea. The aircraft captured the exchange while patrolling over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, identifying it among 35 vessels of interest in the area.

New Zealand did not disclose what goods were transferred in the exchange. Air Commodore Andy Scott said the surveillance operation produced usable evidence against vessels still operating outside the rules. "The evidence captured of activities that were occurring in the East China and Yellow Seas allows authorities to take action against ships that may still be operating in contravention of [UN resolutions]," Scott said.

North Korea has been under United Nations sanctions since 2006, after carrying out its first nuclear weapons test. Those sanctions were expanded in 2016 and again in 2017 to cover a range of exports and ship-to-ship transfers. New Zealand has been a member of the US-led Pacific Security Maritime Exchange since 2018, a grouping that monitors North Korea's violation of international sanctions through smuggling and illicit maritime activity.

North Korea typically uses ships to smuggle refined petroleum imports and to export coal, iron ore and sand. Those exports help fund the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

North Korea continues to trade goods with multiple countries, with China its main customer. It has also sold weapons to Iran and Russia in exchange for oil or hard currency.