According to a United Nations investigation, the frame of Jie Shun was badly corroded when she was seized in 2016, and the desalination system was not functioning.
[1] Jie Shun was registered in Cambodia, which served as a flag of convenience, and routinely disabled her transponder, in order to avoid drawing attention.
[3][4] Jie Shun left Haeju, North Korea on July 23, 2016, with a crew of twenty-three, including a political commissar.
Jie Shun was found to be transporting iron ore and 30,000[5] RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades, in violation of United Nations sanctions.
[3][1] A UN investigation subsequently found that North Korea had been attempting to traffic prohibited military hardware to the Egyptian Armed Forces.