UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged the observance of sanctions against Pyongyang following last week's seizure in Thailand of a cargo plane loaded with North Korean weapons.

Ban told reporters he could not comment further on the incident as the Thai authorities are conducting an investigation and will soon report to the UN Security Council.

But he urged all countries to observe a UN resolution banning the transportation of certain weapons, including conventional arms, from or to North Korea, which is at the center of a long-running international dispute on its nuclear program.

Thai officials impounded an Il-76 transport plane on Saturday after discovering more than 35 tons of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades and missile components. The crew of four Kazakhs and one Belarusian national were charged with illegal arms possession and remanded for 12 days.

The crew said the aircraft was bound for Ukraine, and they knew nothing about the military nature of the cargo. Ukraine said it is looking into the allegation.

UNITED NATIONS, December 14 (RIA Novosti)