It is the first time anyone has been charged under Australia's Weapons of Mass Destruction Act

Sydney man charged with being 'economic agent' for North Korea

17/12/2017

(Translation appears in Arabic section)

A man has been arrested in Sydney for allegedly acting as an economic agent for North Korea, Australian Federal Police (AFP) have said.

Chan Han Choi, 59, has been charged with brokering illegal exports from the country and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction.

Police allege he has broken both UN and Australian sanctions.

The case against Mr Chan, who has lived in Australia for more than 30 years, is the first of its kind in the country.

It is the first time anyone has been charged under the country's 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act.

Police say there was evidence that Mr Chan had been in contact with "high ranking officials in North Korea".

In a Sunday news conference, police confirmed the man was a naturalised Australian citizen of Korean origin who had been in the country for over 30 years.

They described him as a "loyal agent" who "believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose".