The US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, offers a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of persons involved in certain activities that support Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including money laundering, export of luxury goods to the DPRK, specified cyber activities, and actions supporting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The department is seeking information about Kwek Kee Seng, a Singaporean national and director of the Singapore-based shipping agency and terminal operations company known as Swanseas Port Services (S) Pte Ltd, who engaged in an extensive scheme to to evade US and UN sanctions. secretly transporting fuel to the DPRK, in violation of US law.
Kwek Kee Seng has directed the distribution of petroleum products directly to the DPRK, as well as the ship-to-ship transfer of fuel destined for the DPRK using one of Kwek’s oil tankers, the M/T Courageous.
Kwek and his associates attempted to obscure their identities and activities by conducting financial transactions through a variety of shell companies. He directed payments in US dollars sent from his shell companies based in Panama, Singapore and elsewhere, and through US banks to pay for oil, the M/T Courageous, services and materials for the vessel and wages for crew members. These transactions violated the ban on the export of financial services for the benefit of the KPRK.
On April 23, 2021, a US federal arrest warrant was issued for Kwek Kee Seng in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, after he was charged with Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Conspiracy to commit international money laundering. Cleaning. He remains free.
On October 7, 2022, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kwek Kee Seng and Swanseas Port Services Pte. Ltd. pursuant to EO 13810 for activities related to the export of oil to the DPRK, which directly supports the development of the weapons programs of the DPRK and its military.
More information about this reward offer is available on the Rewards for Justice website and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RFJ_USA; https://twitter.com/RFJ_korean; and https://twitter.com/RFJ_mandarin. We encourage anyone with information on Kwek Kee Seng to contact the Rewards for Justice office via its Tor-based tip reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).
The Rewards for Justice Program is an effective law enforcement tool and is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service of the US Department of State. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid more than $250 million to over 125 people around the globe who provided information that helped prevent terrorism, bring terrorist leaders to justice, and solve threats to national security. of the USA. Of this amount, the FRY has paid rewards of $5 million each to two individuals whose information helped disrupt an illegal financial scheme that benefited the DPRK in violation of international and US sanctions.
