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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| U.S. busts smuggling ring tied to NORKS |
| 2005-09-01 |
| From East-Asia-Intel, subscription req'd. U.S. authorities have arrested smugglers with ties to North Korea in a sting operation involving counterfeit money, drugs and cigarettes. No doubt involved in hard-to-get foreign exchange. The Justice Department recently arrested 57 people linked to an international smuggling ring based in Asia. The arrests led to the indictment of 87 people, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing diplomatic sources. Authorities seized $4.4 million in high-quality counterfeit $100 bills, more than 1 billion counterfeit cigarettes worth $42 million, and Ecstasy, methamphetamine and Viagra worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a source. Nice, wholesome enterprise for the Norks. Some of the cigarettes were manufactured in China and the fake money appeared to have been produced in North Korea. No Dong missiles, WMD components, counterfit money, family values, heh. "I believe that the people arrested were not North Koreans. They are probably Americans who deal with North Korea," the source was quoted as saying. The ring relied on operatives overseas and within the U.S. to smuggle goods and currency by way of New Jersey and Los Angeles, the source said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had staged a fake wedding on a yacht off Atlantic City and invited members of the smuggling ring, who were arrested enroute to the affair. Nice touch, FBI. Good sting! The Justice Department declined to comment on whether those arrested were members of a state-organized ring. "We can say no more"™ North Korea, with its economy crippled by isolation, trade embargoes and natural disasters, is one of the major suspected exporters of counterfeit currency. An intelligence source in Seoul said North Korea is coming under increasing international surveillance for weapons exports and has turned to producing and smuggling imitation Western cigarettes. "North Korean diplomats may be engaged in the illegal activities, making use of their diplomatic privileges," he said. Oh, Horrors! The Sacred Diplomatic Pouch misused. Ima shocked! The North's cigarette smuggling may be led by "Office No. 39" of the ruling Workers' Party, which specializes in earning hard currency through illegal means such as narcotics and counterfeit-currency trafficking, the source said. North Korea has denied its involvement in the drug trade, charging Washington was conducting a smear campaign. "Lies! All Lies!"™ |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #2 This is a few days old. The only new news is that they were linked to NK. The "Americans" are of course Chinese, and the rest are Triad gangsters. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-09-01 17:05 |
| #1 This could reduce my spam intake. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-09-01 16:45 |