UN experts: North Korea sent banned chemical items to Syria

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. experts say North Korea sent items used in ballistic missile and chemical weapons programs to Syria along with missile technicians in violation of U.N. sanctions, and it transferred banned ballistic missiles systems to Myanmar.

The panel of experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea said its investigations into Pyongyang’s transfer of prohibited ballistic missile, conventional arms and dual use goods found more than 40 previously unreported shipments to Syria between 2012 and 2017.

The Associated Press reported on Feb. 2 that according to the experts, North Korea was flouting U.N. sanctions on oil and gas, engaging in prohibited ballistic missile cooperation with Syria and Myanmar, and illegally exporting commodities that brought in nearly $200 million in nine months last year.

AP obtained details from the more than 200-page report Tuesday.   /muf