North Korean ship carrying weapons seized in Panama

NY Times:

The Panamanian authorities have seized a North Korean-flagged ship traveling from Cuba through the Panama Canal that was carrying “undeclared military cargo,” and Panama’s president said late Monday that the cargo was presumably “sophisticated missile equipment.”

The president, Ricardo Martinelli said in a radio interview that the illegal cargo was found in two containers hidden behind a large shipment of sugar. In a Twitter posting he included a photo of what looked like a green tubular object in a container.

The United Nations has imposed broad sanctions on North Korea that seek to curtail its ability to export and import weaponry, particularly missile components and technology. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted a general in Myanmar, Thein Htay, for buying military goods from North Korea.

American officials say that North Korea’s arms trade has helped finance the country’s nuclear and missile ambitions. In February, North Korea carried out its third nuclear test, a detonation that led to a tightened round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations and supported by North Korea’s longtime ally and benefactor, China.

In his remarks on Radio Panama, Mr. Martinelli said the ship was headed to North Korea and that the captain tried to commit suicide during the episode.
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The actions of the captain suggest guilt at being caught and fear of the reaction back in North Korea.  The Panama Canal is a choke point for those trying to transport contraband.   The Panamanian officials did a good job of inspecting a suspicious ship.