Press Releases
Monitoring and surveillance activities by Australia against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers
May 14, 2024
Royal Australian Navy destroyer HOBART
(Source: Australian Department of Defence)
- From early to mid-May, Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS HOBART conducted monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), in waters surrounding Japan. It was the eleventh time for such activities to take place since 2018.
- Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs in solidarity with the international community toward the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
- Japan is also conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in violation of the UNSCRs, and Japan works closely with related countries including Australia and related international organizations.