WASHINGTON – A North Korean citizen was taken into U.S. custody on Saturday after being extradited from Malaysia to face money laundering charges, making him the first North Korean extradited to the U.S. to stand trial.
Mun Chol Myong was in FBI custody in Washington, DC on Saturday, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. His extradition came after a Malaysian court rejected his claim that the charges were politically motivated.
The Justice Department declined to comment on Sunday.
A federal judge in Washington issued Mun’s arrest warrant on May 2, 2019 for money laundering and conspiracy charges. Mun, in his 50s, has lived in Malaysia for a decade and was arrested in May 2019 after the U.S. requested his extradition. The Malaysian government approved the extradition, but Mun contested the offer.
His lawyer said Mun feared he would not get a fair trial in the United States. They argued that the extradition is “politically motivated” and aims to increase pressure on North Korea over the country’s missile program.
Mun denied allegations of being involved in the supply of banned luxury goods from Singapore to North Korea, in violation of UN sanctions before moving to Malaysia in 2008. He also denied allegations that he laundered funds through shell companies and produced fraudulent documents to support illicit shipments.
North Korea said it also ended diplomatic ties with Malaysia over the decision to extradite Mun to the US in the latest development of the growing animosity between Washington and Pyongyang, while the North is putting more pressure on the Biden government because of an impasse. nuclear.