ID :
48169
Sat, 02/28/2009 - 08:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48169
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N. Korea seems to have stopped state-sponsored drug trafficking: State Dept.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have stopped
state-sponsored drug trafficking, but continues to counterfeit brand cigarettes and remains a large source of phony U.S. currency, the State Department said Friday.
"Drug trafficking with a connection to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(or North Korea) appears to be down sharply," the department said in the 2009
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.
The report cited "no instances of drug trafficking suggestive of state-directed
trafficking for six years, but there still is insufficient evidence to say for
certain that state-sponsored trafficking has stopped at this time."
North Korea, however, continued to release counterfeit cigarettes, the report said.
"The continuing large-scale traffic in counterfeit cigarettes from DPRK territory
suggests that enforcement against notorious organized criminality is lax," it
said. "It is also possible that a lucrative counterfeit cigarette trade has
replaced a riskier drug trafficking business as a generator of revenue for the
DPRK state."
The report also noted small-scale drug trafficking along the North's border with
China.
North Korea, in the meantime, continued releasing supernotes, high-quality
counterfeit US$100 bills, the report said, noting that they "continue to turn up
in various countries, including in the United States."
"There are reports, for example, of recent supernote seizures in San Francisco,
and a very large supernote seizure in Pusan, South Korea," the report said.
"Supernotes are uniquely associated with the DPRK, but it is not clear if recent
seizures are notes which have been circulating for some time, or if they are
recently issued new notes."
On South Korea, the report saw no major problem in narcotics production, but
warned against South Korea serving as a transshipment location.
"South Korea has become a transshipment location for drug traffickers,
anomalously, due to the country's reputation for not having a drug abuse
problem," the report said. "This, combined with the fact that the South Korean
port of Pusan is one of the region's largest ports, makes South Korea an
attractive location for illegal shipments coming from countries which are more
likely to attract a contraband inspection upon arrival."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
state-sponsored drug trafficking, but continues to counterfeit brand cigarettes and remains a large source of phony U.S. currency, the State Department said Friday.
"Drug trafficking with a connection to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(or North Korea) appears to be down sharply," the department said in the 2009
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.
The report cited "no instances of drug trafficking suggestive of state-directed
trafficking for six years, but there still is insufficient evidence to say for
certain that state-sponsored trafficking has stopped at this time."
North Korea, however, continued to release counterfeit cigarettes, the report said.
"The continuing large-scale traffic in counterfeit cigarettes from DPRK territory
suggests that enforcement against notorious organized criminality is lax," it
said. "It is also possible that a lucrative counterfeit cigarette trade has
replaced a riskier drug trafficking business as a generator of revenue for the
DPRK state."
The report also noted small-scale drug trafficking along the North's border with
China.
North Korea, in the meantime, continued releasing supernotes, high-quality
counterfeit US$100 bills, the report said, noting that they "continue to turn up
in various countries, including in the United States."
"There are reports, for example, of recent supernote seizures in San Francisco,
and a very large supernote seizure in Pusan, South Korea," the report said.
"Supernotes are uniquely associated with the DPRK, but it is not clear if recent
seizures are notes which have been circulating for some time, or if they are
recently issued new notes."
On South Korea, the report saw no major problem in narcotics production, but
warned against South Korea serving as a transshipment location.
"South Korea has become a transshipment location for drug traffickers,
anomalously, due to the country's reputation for not having a drug abuse
problem," the report said. "This, combined with the fact that the South Korean
port of Pusan is one of the region's largest ports, makes South Korea an
attractive location for illegal shipments coming from countries which are more
likely to attract a contraband inspection upon arrival."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
