North Korea on Thursday demanded the return of a cargo ship, the Chong Chon Gang, which was seized by Panamainian authorities on Monday. Panama had apparently received a tip-off that the ship's cargo, loaded in Cuba, contained illegal drugs. Instead, 240 tonnes of arms were uncovered in a shipment of sugar. The UN is concerned that the cargo content violates current sanctions on North Korea because of its refusal to cooperate with international nuclear watchdogs. Risk analyst Neil Ashdown discusses developments.
