US sanctions network aiding North Korea arms sales to Myanmar military

ISTANBUL

The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on five individuals and one company it says helped North Korea finance its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs by arranging arms deals with Myanmar’s military regime.

In a statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said the designations target overseas representatives of North Korea’s sanctioned Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID) and the regime’s intelligence agency, Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), as well as a Myanmar company, Royal Shune Lei, accused of brokering weapons sales.

“North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs are a direct threat to America and our allies,” said John Hurley, Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. “At Treasury, we will continue to dismantle the financial networks that sustain them.”

According to Treasury, Royal Shune Lei employees arranged meetings in China with KOMID officials to secure bomb guidance kits, monitoring equipment and other supplies for the Myanmar military. The company’s leaders and one employee were also sanctioned.

KOMID, North Korea’s primary arms dealer, and the RGB, its main military intelligence body, are already sanctioned by the UN and the United States. Treasury said their representatives rely on front companies and overseas businesses to disguise foreign currency earnings and funnel them back to Pyongyang.