WASHINGTON (NYTIMES) - North Korea has evaded United Nations sanctions for many months by exporting coal, sand and petroleum, and importing luxury goods including armoured sedans, alcohol and robotic machinery. The findings are based on an upcoming UN report, other assessments using satellite images and shipping data, and interviews with analysts.

The exports provide North Korea with money to continue developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, analysts say. And the imports of luxury goods show techniques that North Korea might also be using to procure dual-use technology for those programs, they say. The efforts to raise money are aided by the country's sophisticated cybercrime operations that target financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges.