New Zealand deployed two naval vessels to monitor North Korea’s illicit maritime activities from mid-August to early September, Japan’s foreign ministry announced after the ships concluded their sanctions enforcement mission.

The Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana and sustainment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa conducted surveillance in waters surrounding Japan, the ministry said in a press release Tuesday, marking the third time New Zealand naval vessels have carried out such activity since 2024.

The mission focused on “illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels,” which are prohibited under U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the ministry.

Japan