Singapore charges suspects with smuggling luxury goods to North Korea

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Singapore authorities have charged one Singaporean national and at least one North Korean citizen in connection to illegal exports of luxury goods from the island country to Pyongyang.

Chong Hock Yen, 58, and North Korean Li Hyon, 30, are at the focus of the charges, which include violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, Singapore's Straits Times reported Thursday.

International law forbids U.N. member states from supplying the Kim Jong Un regime with luxury items, which the North Korean leader uses to keep elite officials loyal to the state.

The items being shipped to North Korea from three of Chong's companies included wine, perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry and watches.

Chong was charged with 43 counts of being involved in a conspiracy to illegally supply Pyongyang with banned items.

"Singapore takes its obligations under the United Nations Security Council Resolutions seriously and implements them fully and faithfully. We will not hesitate to take action against any individual or entity that breaches our laws and regulations," local authorities said Thursday.

Chong was actively trading with North Korea from Dec. 27, 2010, to Nov. 18, 2016, and conducted 48 transactions during that time.

The Singaporean national supplied luxury items worth about $4.35 million to North Korea and "cheated" banks of more than $95 million, the Times reported.

Li Hyon exported luxury goods to North Korea a total of 14 times from Sept. 17, 2014 to Jan. 5, 2017, according to Singaporean court documents. Li worked with Chong to export items to North Korea.

The charges come a day after prosecutors in Taiwan said they have arrested Taiwanese nationals in connection to illegal fuel supplies to North Korea.

Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday the Kaohsiung District prosecutor's office said Tuesday two Taiwanese nationals, surnamed Huang and Wu, were arrested for illegally selling 1.8 million liters of diesel fuel to North Korea through their ship the Shang Yuan Bao.

The Panamanian-flagged tanker has been blacklisted at the United Nations Security Council.