related or ballistic missile items."

"Although the (sanctions) have not caused the DPRK (North Korea) to halt its banned activities, they appear to have slowed them and made illicit transactions significantly more difficult and expensive," the panel's report said.

One of the cases involving suspected illicit arms trade with Syria was reported to the council's sanctions committee earlier this year.

Another case cited in the report involved a 2007 shipment of propellant usable for SCUD missiles and other items that could be used for ballistic missiles. The panel had referred to it in last year's report but added details about a Syrian connection and confirmed it had been transported via China.

The panel also said it was looking at the possibility North Korea has a deal with Myanmar on conventional weapons cooperation in violation of Security Council sanctions passed in 2006 and 2009 after Pyongyang's nuclear test in those years. Those sanctions include a ban on North Korean arms exports.

Ten thousand rolls of tobacco, 12 bottles of Sake, and some second-hand Mercedes Benz cars are among the latest breaches by North Korea of the luxury goods ban described in the report.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Jackie Frank and Todd Eastham)