A North Korean ship suspected of illegally transporting missile technology to Myanmar was intercepted by the US navy, the New York Times reported.
The incident occurred two weeks ago, the report said late Sunday. The vessel was forced to return home after a standoff at sea and diplomatic pressure from the United States and Asian nations, the Times quoted officials in Washington as saying, DPA reported.
There appears to be a growing trade in missile technology between North Korea and Myanmar, two nations shunned by Western democracies for their human rights violations and, in Pyongyang's case, under UN sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme.
The sanctions were imposed after the communist state conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, and include a trade ban on nuclear and missile technology. UN member states are authorized to inspect cargo from North Korea.
The US dispatched a Navy vessel to track the Belize-flagged M/V Light, suspecting it was carrying missile components, but the US was reluctant to board the ship as it did not have definite proof and for fear of a North Korean setup, the report said.