North Korea: Royal Navy's Portsmouth-based HMS Tamar works on enforcing UN sanctions against rogue state

HMS Tamar carried out a patrol of the East China Sea to prevent fuel or refined petrol being delivered to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – sanctions imposed by the United Nations to target the country’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes.

In rough weather, the Portsmouth-based offshore patrol vessel gathered evidence of a ship believed to be have been in breach of those sanctions, information which was passed on to the Enforcement Co-ordination Cell, based in Yokosuka, Japan.

Her work follows up a similar patrol by frigate HMS Richmond in the East China Sea in September, when she broke away from the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, which also resulted in details of vessels being handed over to the Enforcement Coordination Cell.

‘HMS Tamar’s enforcement contribution to the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution aimed to provide tactical evidence to counter malign proliferation activities,’ said Commander Teilo Elliot-Smith, the ship’s Commanding Officer.

‘We did that. It underlines two things for me: the Royal Navy’s intent to help stabilise a volatile part of the world and uphold an international agreement; secondly, it proves the utility and potential of HMS Tamar so soon on our arrival in the region.

‘I’m proud to be able to demonstrate so clearly our intention to support regional allies and partners in the Indo Asia Pacific, a fact further underlined by HMS Tamar’s permanent deployment here.’

The operation is the first conducted by Tamar, which has just arrived in the western Pacific Rim after a 16,000-mile journey from Portsmouth via the Caribbean, California and Hawaii.

With her sister HMS Spey, Tamar is on a five-year mission to the Asia-Pacific supporting UK interests in the region.

Together the vessels mark the first permanent Royal Navy presence in the region since Hong Kong was returned to China a quarter of a century ago.