The United States on Monday sanctioned a South African individual for helping North Korea buy oil through illicit means. 

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement that it had sanctioned Russia-born Vladlen Amtchentsev for advising how to evade U.S. sanctions on behalf of Velmur Management. The U.S. had already sanctioned Velmur and Transatlantic Partners in August last year for their alleged involvement in oil deals with North Korea.

The sanctions freeze any assets Amtchentsev has within the U.S., and bars Americans from doing business with him. 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that North Korea depends on the help of "criminals and illicit actors to raise and transfer funds."

He added that the Treasury will continue to enforce and implement sanctions against any actor that seeks to aid the regime's deceptive practices, as part of its commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea.