A UN Security Council committee has blacklisted 27 ships, 21 shipping companies and one individual on Friday, over alleged smuggling of oil and coal to North Korea. The sanctions were imposed at the request of the US, AFP reported. Thirteen of the ships are North Korean oil tankers and cargo vessels, which are now banned from ports worldwide. Twelve of the sanctioned shipping companies are based in North Korea, five are based in China, and the rest are based in Singapore, Samoa, the Marshall Islands and Panama.