South Korea has seized and inspected a Panama-flagged ship suspected of transferring oil to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.

The 51-hundred-ton KOTI is being held in the western port of Pyeongtaek-Dangjin, Gyeonggi Province and security and customs officials are reportedly investigating the crew. 

An official at the Korea Customs Service confirmed on Sunday that a probe is under way, but refused to give details of the investigation. 

Security and customs officials reportedly held a meeting on December 21st and decided not to allow the vessel to depart from the port. 

It is the second known vessel under probe by South Korea on suspicion of providing petroleum products to North Korea via a ship-to-ship transfer.

Just last week, South Korea announced it had seized the Lighthouse Winmore, a Hong Kong-registered ship in late November, that it claims had provided oil to a North Korean vessel in international waters in violation of UN sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Voice of America(VOA) said Tuesday that the actual operators of the two vessels have their addresses in China. The VOA cited data from the Port State Control Committee in the Asia Pacific region.

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