Posted on 10/21/2015 6:42:18 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
N.Korean Diplomats Caught Smuggling Cuban Cigars
Two North Korean diplomats have been caught smuggling a large stash of top-end Cuban cigars into Brazil.
The two were arrested at Campinas International Airport in São Paulo, according to the Brazilian daily O Estado.
Both are trade attaches at the North Korean Consulate there.
They had come from Cuba via Panama carrying 3,800 cigars worth W90-150 million in six travel bags (US$1=W1,133).
Cigar smuggling is apparently a common sideline for North Korean diplomats in Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela who are under growing pressure from Pyongyang to earn valuta.
Top-end Cohiba Cigars sell for W40,000-50,000 apiece, but the North Koreans can buy them for 1/10 of that money in the Cuban black market.
englishnews@chosun.com / Oct. 19, 2015 12:10 KST
North Korea operates lucrative gambling websites that target mainly South Koreans, the National Intelligence Service here believes.
The National Intelligence Service told a National Assembly audit on Tuesday that around 1,100 North Korean computer experts operate from China, Malaysia and other Asian countries, each generating around US$20,000 in gambling proceeds on average.
That is seven times what the average North Korean worker earns in a year.
The NIS said North Korean gambling websites target South Koreans in particular. One online sports betting website generated around W4 billion in profits on the first half of this year, according to the NIS (US$1=W1,133).
The spy agency said North Korea also earns hard currency by selling online gaming items like magical weapons. They install cheat programs or hacking software and then sell on their undeserved perks to gamers.
The NIS estimates the illegal online gambling and item-selling market at W34 trillion worldwide and suspects huge amounts of that flow into North Korea.
englishnews@chosun.com / Oct. 21, 2015 12:41 KST
P!
Illegal Gaming and cigars are fueling the NK economy. That is both funny and tragic. I guess the conterfeit business ain’t what it used to be?
Man, that’s a lot of stogies. Methinks this is not the 1st time they have done this, just the 1st time caught.
Well you hear the stories about Chia Chub father liking his booze maybe that what Chia Chub latest addiction
Thanks for the ping Tiger.
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