MH370 ‘lithium ion batteries’ shipper, consignee both logistics firms

NNR Global Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd, the shipper of the “lithium ion batteries” on MH370, is part of the Japanese Nishitetsu Group, which claims itself a “world leader in international logistics”.

Nishitestu tied up with a Malaysian firm in January 1994 and opened its facility at the Penang Airport in September 1994.

In Japan, NNR was the first IATA licensed freight forwarder in Japan and presently offers services in air cargo, ocean transport, logistics and IT.

Which means, that the origins of the cargo it despatched on MH370 remain unclear.

The intended end recipient is similarly unclear. The consignee on the airway bill is stated as JHJ International Transportation Co Ltd, Beijing Branch, c/o NNR Global Logistics (Beijing) Co Ltd, Room 302, Logistics Building, 10 Tianzhu Road, Tiazhu Industrial Estate.

The Beijing Tianzhu Airport Economic Development Zone (Beijing Tianzhu Airport EDZ), an industrial park, lies in Tianzhu Town within Shunyi District to the west of Beijing International Airport. Just 2km from the terminal building, it can receive cargo from the airport within 10 minutes. The EDZ has several functional clusters including the Beijing Airport Logistics Base.

NNR’s main Japanese website lists its Beijing office address as Room 1106, C&W Plaza, 14 Jiu Xian Quiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100015. This is different from what is stated as its Beijing address in the airway bill.

JHJ’s website describes the consignee (JHJ) as involved in the air and sea freight forwarding business. According to a freight website, JHJ’s Beijing office is in the same C&W Plaza as NNR but in a different room, Room 506.

Interestingly enough, American Airlines cargo sales information shares the same room address (Room 506). That could be because JHJ’s subsidiary, Brilliant Jet Air Service Co Ltd, acts as the cargo sales agent for American Airlines, according to the Linkedin page of a Mr Jinquan Guo, who describes himself as the General Manager of Brilliant Jet Air Service.

JHJ’s Beijing office is the headquarters of the firm’s northern China business region where it can link up with surrounding cities and regions such as Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Haerbin, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Uygur and Gansu via air, rail, road and sea.

Whatever the case, we are still in the dark as to the origins of those “lithium ion batteries”, how they were actually packed, who inspected the cargo, and the intended recipient. Why can’t NNR disclose the manufacturer or supplier of the cargo. What is so “confidential” (as it claims) about it?