The US on Thursday said that it seized a North Korean cargo vessel for violating international sanctions, including those slapped by Washington.The ship, identified as 'Wise Honest, is a 17,061-ton, single-hull bulk carrier ship registered in North Korea, according to a statement by the Justice Department.The vessel was used to illicitly ship coal from North Korea and to deliver heavy machinery to the isolated communist nation."Payments for maintenance, equipment, and improvements of the Wise Honest were made in US dollars through unwitting US banks. This conduct violates longstanding US law and United Nations Security Council resolutions," the statement said."This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service. North Korea and the companies that help it evade US and UN sanctions should know that we will use all tools at our disposal -- including a civil forfeiture action such as this one or criminal charges -- to enforce the sanctions enacted by the US and the global community, said ...
