Pong Su incident
Encyclopedia
The Pong Su incident occurred during April 2003 when members of the Australian Special Operations Command
intercepted and boarded the Pong Su, a North Korea
n ocean freighter in Australia
n territorial waters
. The ship was suspected of being involved in smuggling almost 150 kg (330 pounds) of heroin into Australia.
The Pong Su (봉수호) was a 349-foot (106 m), 3,743-tonne ocean freighter registered in Tuvalu
and North Korean owned
. The ship was flying the flag of Tuvalu, a flag of convenience
. Searches of the ship by Australian authorities revealed the ship had been modified for long voyages and was carrying enough fuel and provisions to travel around the world without needing to port.
in Australia
observed the Pong Su close to shore at Boggaley Creek near the seaside town of Wye River
in Victoria
and followed two suspects on the shore as they left the beach and headed for a nearby hotel. The next morning, the two suspects were apprehended after leaving their hotel with 50 kg of pure heroin. Then, in a search of the beach at Boggaley Creek, Australian police discovered the body of a man of East Asian appearance covered by seaweed close to a dinghy
. It was speculated that the dinghy had capsized landing the heroin, drowning one of the crew. Police also apprehended another man in the immediate area. Unable to get back to his boat, he had simply remained in the area where the drugs came ashore the night before. A fourth suspect was also taken into custody. A further 75 kg of heroin in similar packaging was later discovered buried near Wye River in May 2003 after subsequent searches following coordinates from a seized GPS device.
. After a four day chase, known as Operation Sorbet, the Pong Su was captured after Australian Army
Special Operations Forces stormed the ship in a helicopter landing. The Pong Su was secured and brought into port in Sydney
.
Some 30 men were arrested and detained, including one who, according to Australian media reports, was a member of the North Korean Communist party who had served as senior envoy
in Pyongyang
's embassy in Beijing
. It has been alleged that the North Korean government may have been involved in the manufacture and trade of the drugs. The North Korean government stated the ship was a 'civilian trading ship', and the ship's owner had no knowledge of the illegal cargo.
and China
) and not part of the ship's crew.http://www.austlii.edu.au//cgi-bin/disp.pl/au/cases/vic/VSC/2006/126.html?query=Pong%20Su
The suspects, the captain and crew of the Pong Su were charged with narcotics trafficking. Most significantly, an official of the governing Korean Workers' Party was found on board, linking the drug shipment to Kim Jong-il
's government. The Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
called in the North Korean Ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Drug charges were laid against the ship's entire crew. Twenty-seven crew members were discharged
on 5 March 2004 by a magistrate on the basis that there was insufficient evidence for them to stand trial. While awaiting deportation, the crew were held in Baxter Detention Centre; during which time they were questioned by federal authorities. They were deported from Australia on 24 June 2004.
Four senior crew members were kept in Australia to face a jury trial. They were:
All four crew members pleaded not guilty at the beginning of their trial in August 2005.
The prosecution case against the four North Korean officers was that they would not have allowed their ship to be stopped in the position it was if they were not aware that the real purpose of their voyage was to smuggle the heroin. The prosecution did not allege any official involvement of the DPRK Government (North Korean government), only the officers on board the ship.
On 2 March 2004, the US
State Department
released a report using the incident to link Kim Jong-il's government to drugs trafficking.
jury found the ship's four officers not guilty on all charges. They were subsequently deported.
naval base, Woolloomooloo
. From there it was taken to Snails Bay, and moored for over two years, where it was reportedly costing over $2,500 a day for maintenance and security. Finally it was taken to Chowder Bay in early 2006 while authorities decided what to do with it.
Authorities eventually decided to scuttle the ship and on 23 March 2006, in a joint RAAF
and RAN
military exercise, the Pong Su was sunk by two 2000-pound (907 kg)
laser guided bombs dropped from RAAF F-111
aircraft. The deliberate destruction of the freighter was said to deliver a strong message to international drug smuggling rings that the AFP
and Commonwealth Government
would take all measures necessary to stop illegal drug importation.
Before the ship was scuttled, its radio was removed and donated to the Kurrajong Radio Museum.
Special Operations Command (Australia)
The Special Operations Command is a command within the Australian Defence Force . Special Operations Command was established in May 2003, to unite all of the ADF special forces units. As of 2007 Special Operations Command is fully operational. Australia's Special Operations Command is of...
intercepted and boarded the Pong Su, a North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n ocean freighter in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
. The ship was suspected of being involved in smuggling almost 150 kg (330 pounds) of heroin into Australia.
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
and North Korean owned
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The ship was flying the flag of Tuvalu, a flag of convenience
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
. Searches of the ship by Australian authorities revealed the ship had been modified for long voyages and was carrying enough fuel and provisions to travel around the world without needing to port.
Trafficking
On 16 April 2003, policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
observed the Pong Su close to shore at Boggaley Creek near the seaside town of Wye River
Wye River, Victoria
Wye River is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is also the name given to the waterway which flows through the town and into the sea at this point. Situated some 155 km west of Melbourne, on the Otway Coast part of the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Wye River township is a popular tourist...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and followed two suspects on the shore as they left the beach and headed for a nearby hotel. The next morning, the two suspects were apprehended after leaving their hotel with 50 kg of pure heroin. Then, in a search of the beach at Boggaley Creek, Australian police discovered the body of a man of East Asian appearance covered by seaweed close to a dinghy
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
. It was speculated that the dinghy had capsized landing the heroin, drowning one of the crew. Police also apprehended another man in the immediate area. Unable to get back to his boat, he had simply remained in the area where the drugs came ashore the night before. A fourth suspect was also taken into custody. A further 75 kg of heroin in similar packaging was later discovered buried near Wye River in May 2003 after subsequent searches following coordinates from a seized GPS device.
Operation Sorbet
The Australian government ordered the Pong Su into harbour; however, the ship attempted to escape into international watersInternational waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
. After a four day chase, known as Operation Sorbet, the Pong Su was captured after Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Special Operations Forces stormed the ship in a helicopter landing. The Pong Su was secured and brought into port in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Some 30 men were arrested and detained, including one who, according to Australian media reports, was a member of the North Korean Communist party who had served as senior envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
's embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. It has been alleged that the North Korean government may have been involved in the manufacture and trade of the drugs. The North Korean government stated the ship was a 'civilian trading ship', and the ship's owner had no knowledge of the illegal cargo.
Drug charges
The four men arrested on shore pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the importation of a commercial quantity of heroin. They were sentenced to between 22 and 24 years imprisonment. They were apparently not North Korean origin (but from Malaysia, SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) and not part of the ship's crew.http://www.austlii.edu.au//cgi-bin/disp.pl/au/cases/vic/VSC/2006/126.html?query=Pong%20Su
The suspects, the captain and crew of the Pong Su were charged with narcotics trafficking. Most significantly, an official of the governing Korean Workers' Party was found on board, linking the drug shipment to Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
's government. The Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
called in the North Korean Ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Drug charges were laid against the ship's entire crew. Twenty-seven crew members were discharged
on 5 March 2004 by a magistrate on the basis that there was insufficient evidence for them to stand trial. While awaiting deportation, the crew were held in Baxter Detention Centre; during which time they were questioned by federal authorities. They were deported from Australia on 24 June 2004.
Four senior crew members were kept in Australia to face a jury trial. They were:
- Choe Dong-song (최동성), 61, the ship's political secretary
- Song Man-seon (송만선), 65, the ship's captain
- Lee Man-jin (이만진), 51, the first officer
- Lee Ju-cheon (이주천), 51, the chief engineer
All four crew members pleaded not guilty at the beginning of their trial in August 2005.
The prosecution case against the four North Korean officers was that they would not have allowed their ship to be stopped in the position it was if they were not aware that the real purpose of their voyage was to smuggle the heroin. The prosecution did not allege any official involvement of the DPRK Government (North Korean government), only the officers on board the ship.
On 2 March 2004, the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
released a report using the incident to link Kim Jong-il's government to drugs trafficking.
Acquitted
On 5 March 2006, a Supreme CourtSupreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
jury found the ship's four officers not guilty on all charges. They were subsequently deported.
Fate of the Pong Su
After capture the ship was brought to Sydney Harbour where it was originally moored at Garden IslandGarden Island, New South Wales
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
naval base, Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former...
. From there it was taken to Snails Bay, and moored for over two years, where it was reportedly costing over $2,500 a day for maintenance and security. Finally it was taken to Chowder Bay in early 2006 while authorities decided what to do with it.
Authorities eventually decided to scuttle the ship and on 23 March 2006, in a joint RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and RAN
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
military exercise, the Pong Su was sunk by two 2000-pound (907 kg)
GBU-10 Paveway II
American Paveway-series laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 84 general-purpose bomb, but with laser seeker and wings for guidance. Introduced into service c. 1976. Used by USAF, US Navy, US Marine Corps, RAAF and various NATO air forces....
laser guided bombs dropped from RAAF F-111
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
aircraft. The deliberate destruction of the freighter was said to deliver a strong message to international drug smuggling rings that the AFP
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
and Commonwealth Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
would take all measures necessary to stop illegal drug importation.
Before the ship was scuttled, its radio was removed and donated to the Kurrajong Radio Museum.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- ScuttlingScuttlingScuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
- War on drugsWar on DrugsThe War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
- Prohibition (drugs)Prohibition (drugs)The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent drug use. Prohibition of drugs has existed at various levels of government or other authority from the Middle Ages to the present....
- Arguments for and against drug prohibitionArguments for and against drug prohibitionArguments about the prohibition of drugs, and over drug policy reform, are subjects of considerable controversy. The following is a presentation of major drug policy arguments, including those for drug law enforcement on one side of the debate, and arguments for drug law reform on the other.-...
- Drug possessionDrug possessionDrug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
- Illegal drug tradeIllegal drug tradeThe illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...