Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/12
By:  Central News Agency

Six Taiwanese people were indicted Thursday on charges of using false customs declarations to ostensibly export fuel oil that was in fact transported illegally to unknown buyers in the East China Sea, including North Korean-flagged ships.

Three of the six suspects are owners of petrochemical or shipping companies who allegedly colluded with a Chinese man named Xie Jiaqing (謝加慶) to use the oil/chemical tanker Polaris to transport oil to buyers through illegal ship-to-ship transfers, according to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office.

The Polaris received supplies at Kaohsiung Port and was later loaded with fuel oil at Taichung Port before departing for the East China Sea to await instructions, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Most of the buyers were smuggling vessels, tankers caught for violating United Nations sanctions and ships requiring refueling but which might have failed to pass inspections for refueling at ports legally, according to the statement.    [FULL  STORY]