The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested a Korean-born man living in Sydney for allegedly acting as an economic agent for North Korea in Australia in a bid to broker sales and discuss the supply of weapons of mass destruction.
The man who has been identified as Choi Han Chan, a 59-year-old from Sydney's Eastwood, allegedly breached United Nation's sanctions and Australian federal law, and has been charged with brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction, reported the Guardian.
He also planned to transfer coal from North Korea to entities in Vietnam and Indonesia. However, there is no evidence that the governments of those two nations were aware of it, the police opined.
The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts.
There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a "spy", AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday.
"This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose," he said.
"At the end of the day he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government" and is believed to have endeavoured to sell gemstones and other product as well.
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