Harmony Wish: transported TELs to North Korea?

Missile launch vehicles, called TELs – for transporter, erector, launcher were shipped from Shanghai to North Korea last August on board the Harmony Wish, a Cambodian-flagged cargo vessel. Japanese authorities tracked the ship by satellite and searched it after it had delivered its cargo, when it transited through Japan the following month,  Although no suspicious vehicles were on board the ship when it was searched in Japan, authorities found documents detailing the cargo it had unloaded in North Korea, which included the vehicles,   The UN security council imposed sanctions against North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006, stepping them up after a second test in 2009 to try to derail the country's rogue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The sanctions restrict exports of weapons or technology that could be used to boost those programmes.   


8853776 HARMONY WISH XUNB8 General Cargo Ship 1991




Name: Harmony Wish
IMO: 8853776
Flag: Cambodia
MMSI: 515251000
Callsign: XUNB8
Former name(s):
- Hoei Maru (Until 2008 Jul 31)

Technical Data
Vessel type: Grab Dredger
Gross tonnage: 1,999 tons
Summer DWT: 3,720 tons
Length: 85 m
Beam: 13 m
Draught: 4.5 m



Additional Information
Home port: Phnom Penh
Class society: Inclamar
Build year: 1991
Builder*: Kamishima Shipbuilding
Osakikamijima, Japan
Owner: Harmony Growing Shipmanagement
Dalian, China
Manager: Harmony Growing Shipmanagement
Dalian, China

Professor Katsman: Vladimir Lisin beneficial owner

 Vladimir Lisin 

Professor Katsman

Odai

Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) admitted last week that the container vessel had docked in Syria, but said the firm had no knowledge of the cargo's contents as they were in sealed containers and passed by Russian customs officials.       UCL is registered in the Netherlands, while the boat is registered by a Maltese company called Rusich 12 Ltd, which is owned by a Russich-NW Shipholding.   The firm, Rusich-12, is part of several companies registered at the address of advocates Ganado & Associates in Valletta, as subsidiaries of Russich-NW Shipholding, which is registered in Cyrus and owned by Universal Cargo Logistics (UCL) of the Netherlands, one of several businesses owned by Russian oligarch and billionaire Vladimir Lisin.   Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin was a welder before studying metal engineering at a university in Siberia.   He is Russia's second richest man, having made his fortune, estimated at 10.2 billion pounds, in the steel industry.   Professor Katsman, managed by  the North Western Shipping Company, delivered the cargo of arms to Syria.

[June 1]"With respect to the reported docking of a ship [Professor Katsman] carrying Russian arms, this is obviously of the utmost concern given that the Syrian government continues to use deadly force against civilians," U.S. Ambassador Rice told reporters at UN headquarters.   "As for supplying weapons, Russia does not provide weapons that could be used in a civil conflict," Russian President Putin said.   
"We know that there has been a very consistent arms trade even during this last year of violence in Syria coming from Russia to Syria. We also believe that the continuing supply of arms from Russia has strengthened the Assad regime," said U.S. Secretray of State Clinton. "What those arms are being used for we can not speak with any accuracy

 [May 26] ODAI from North Korea is scheduled to dock today in Latakiya 
“North Korea is  continuing to send arms to Syria. The shipments arrive by air and sea and they are being paid by a special slush fund that the Iranian government set up for this purpose.”
 Professor Katsman, is owned by a Maltese firm, which is owned by a Cypriot company that is owned by Russian firm.
Diplomats said the Russian firm might have been acting on behalf of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, though that was not clear. 


9368261 PROFESSOR KATSMAN UBOG3 General Cargo Ship 5465 2008


Vessel Identification


Name: Professor Katsman
IMO: 9368261
Flag: Russia
MMSI: 273355040
Callsign: UBOG3

Technical Data
Vessel type: Cargo
Gross tonnage: 4,970 tons
Summer DWT: 5,465 tons
Length: 128 m
Beam: 16 m
Draught: 3.5 m



Additional Information
Owner: Volga Baltic - Moscow, Russia
Manager: North Western Shipping
St.petersburg, Russia


Receive: 23/07/2010 04:44
Ship: PROFESSOR KATSMAN
  Malta
IMO: 9368261




Name: Odai
IMO: 8992675
Flag: North Korea
MMSI: 445683000
Callsign: HMVZ6
Former name(s):
- Nikolla (Until 2008 Sep 09)
- An Qiang (Until 2005 Oct 03)
- Jin An 3 (not Yet Confirmed)