Northkoreatimes iconNorthkoreatimesSep 3, 2026

Inside the booming 'shadow fleet' industry keeping rogue states afloat

Share article Print article It's the middle of the night in April 2023 in the East China Sea. A North Korean-linked oil tanker sailing under another country's flag suddenly goes dark.

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A North Korean-linked oil tanker sailing under another country's flag suddenly goes dark.

It stops transmitting its location using the Automatic Identification System (AIS) machine that all large commercial ships have on board.

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Share article Print article It's the middle of the night in April 2023 in the East China Sea. A North Korean-linked oil tanker sailing under another country's flag suddenly goes dark. It stops transmitting its location using the Automatic Identification System (AIS) machine that all large commercial ships have on board.

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