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Singapore: Man jailed for three years for supplying luxury goods to North Korea

WION Web Team
Singapore, , SingaporeUpdated: Nov 22, 2019, 10:19 PM IST
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Representative image. Photograph:(Zee News Network)

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In recent years, a lot of companies and individuals were charged of supplying banned goods to North Korea.

A Singaporean firm's director was given a jail term for nearly three years for supplying luxury goods worth millions to North Korea, which violates UN sanctions. 

The court convicted Ng Kheng Wah for shipping $4.4 million items including wine, spirits and perfume to North Korea via Dalian in China for more than six years. As per the court documents, the firm T Specialist sent over Sg$6 million in goods that included musical instruments, watches, jewellery, and cosmetics, to a department store chain in North Korea. 

"This sanctions regime will only be effective if every UN member state, including Singapore, uses its best efforts to ensure full compliance," said Judge Bala Reddy, while reading out the 34-month sentence. He also added that such "illicit" international trade also harms a country's reputation and raises questions of its commitment to the UN Security Council sanctions regime.

The United Nations have imposed sanctions in response to North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests. Singapore introduced laws to enforce these sanctions and in 2017 ended trade ties with the North. 

In recent years, a lot of companies and individuals were charged of supplying banned goods to North Korea. A Singaporean firm was accused of supplying wine and sprites worth nearly Sg$665,000 ($480,000) to North in August. Last year, two men were charged with supplying luxury goods, including watches
and jewellery to Pyongyang.

(with inputs from AFP)