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Khasan customs officers in southern Primorye detained a North Korean tanker for attempting to smuggle fuel from Russia to the DPRK in a hidden storage area Monday, officials reported.

The tanker was detained during the customs control before its departure for North Korea, a statement from the Khasan customs department said.

During the examination customs officers noted that the ship’s bow was immersed below the water line, which testified to the overloading of the vessel’s nose tank.

A more thorough inspection of the vessel’s nose section by customs officers revealed a hidden storage area not indicated in the schematic drawing of the ship.

More than 116 cubic meters (4,096.5 cubic feet) of undeclared fuel were discovered in this storage area, the statement said.

The illegal load at an estimated value of 733,000 rubles ($30,000) will be removed and directed toward the examination.

The Khasan customs launched administrative proceedings against the tanker’s owners on charges of a smuggling attempt.