North Korean crew turns silent on theft allegations

North Koreans aboard a recently impounded vessel off northern Japan on Wednesday refused to respond to police questioning over allegations they stole home appliances from an uninhabited islet, despite earlier admitting to the crime, investigative sources said.The wooden boat bearing a name plate indicating the vessel belongs to the North Korean military was found off the islet off Hokkaido on Nov. 28, with 10 men aboard.The hut, located near a shelter port, had been locked but was broken into and ransacked and the home appliances, such as a TV and refrigerator, had been taken.The North Kore…READ FULL ARTICLE