North Korean diplomat who was caught trying to smuggle 27kg gold into the country."We will expel him. The process of taking action regarding the crime committed by the North Korean diplomat has started," said a senior Foreign Ministry official, adding that the process would take a few days.
The first economic and commercial secretary of the North Korean embassy in Dhaka, Son Yong Nam, was detained and later released by customs police on Friday. He enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
"This is a rare event and a government can take one of three actions against the offender," the official said.
A host government, with the approval of the sending country, can take legal action against an offending diplomat, declare him persona non grata, or expel him by asking the sending government to withdraw its envoy.
"We will be asking the North Korean government to withdraw him," he said.
"I am not aware of any extra surveillance [for the diplomat]," the official said, adding that until the issue is resolved, the diplomat is expected to remain in the country.