ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 27, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 27, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• ZeroFox Intelligence Brief - Article 23 and Risks to Foreign Nationals in Hong Kong
• Russia Delivers Oil to North Korea
• Police Detain Protesters in Delhi Seeking to Surround Prime Minister’s Residence

ZeroFox Intelligence Brief - Article 23 and Risks to Foreign Nationals in Hong Kong

Article 23, an updated Hong Kong-specific national security law, went into effect on March 23. A previous version of the law that brought Hong Kong’s legal system in line with mainland China’s prompted mass protests in 2019 and 2020. The updated version expands the list of crimes to include accessing data that was previously legally permissible and increases the punishment for offenders. The broad and vague wording of Article 23 could be applied to a wide range of data types, like financial and economic growth figures that firms consider necessary for operations. Western firms that have used Hong Kong to access the Chinese market for years will likely experience a more difficult operating environment and a heightened risk of arrest for their employees.

Russia Delivers Oil to North Korea

According to sources, Russia began delivering oil to North Korea around March 7. At least five North Korean oil tankers departed the Russian port of Vostochny in early March, and two of them have since unloaded at the North Korean port of Chongjin. These shipments mark the first documented oil deliveries since the United Nations introduced sanctions on North Korea oil imports in 2017.

Police Detain Protesters in Delhi Seeking to Surround Prime Minister’s Residence

Indian police arrested dozens of protesters assembled to surround the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid national controversy over the arrest of a key opposition figure. Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), part of India’s opposition bloc, called for the protest after police arrested Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister and founder of the AAP, on March 21 on charges of corruption. AAP supporters have since staged several actions including rallying in New Delhi and burning effigies of Prime Minister Modi, whom they accused of falsifying the charges to eliminate a major political rival.