The United States imposed sanctions on a Singapore-based shipping company and its president Thursday, accusing them of providing support for North Korea's illicit imports of arms and related materials.
  

The Treasury Department said Senat Shipping Company provided extensive support to the North's Ocean Maritime Management Company that has already been under sanctions for attempting to import a concealed shipment of arms and related materials to the communist nation.
  

The department also sanctioned Senat's president, Leonard Lai, for supporting the North Korean firm.
  

"Arms shipments transported by OMMC serve as a key resource for North Korea's ongoing proliferation activities. Sales from these shipments contribute to North Korea's other illicit programs,"

Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam J. Szubin said in a statement.
  

"We are working to make it as challenging as possible for North Korea to continue its unlawful behavior by actively targeting anyone or any business that supports these illicit arms transfers," he said.
  

The sanctions call for freezing "any property or interests in property of the designated persons that are or come within U.S. jurisdiction." In addition, transactions by Americans or people within the U.S. involving the property of designated people, including the identified vessel, are prohibited under the measures. (Yonhap)