India seizes DPRK vessel

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New Delhi: Indian coast guards last Thursday seized a North Korean ship after a six-hour chase and have been investigating since, South Korean media reported Monday. The MV Musan fled after illegally casting anchor in waters near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Times of India reported Sunday.
This was the first time a foreign country has actually seized a North Korean ship since the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1874 in June sanctioning North Korea for a nuclear test in May in defiance of international prohibitions.
The MV Musan's crew told Indian authorities they been transporting sugar from Thailand to Umm Qasr, Iraq. The coast guard said the ship had cast anchor in Indian waters without permission and failed to respond to signals, stopping only when shots were fired in the air. India accuses the crew of behaving "suspiciously," including making inaccurate log entries.
The MV Musan had traveled between North Korea and China without making proper log entries and cast anchor at Singapore on June 30 without recording the fact.
The ship is under investigation by a team composed of Indian Army, Navy and intelligence agencies after it was towed to Port Blair on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Reuters reported.
Indian Authorities searched the MV Musan, and confirmed it only carries sugar, but the investigation will continue. [10/08/09]