North Korea and the triads: gangsters, ghost ships and spies | FT Film
Financial Times・21 minutes read
Criminal networks, including Triads, facilitate North Korea's sanctions evasion for oil trade and money laundering, sustaining its weapons program. Connections to casinos like Sun City and Hong Kong nationals like Gary Toad are linked to illegal money flows, forming intricate networks that help North Korea maintain its illicit activities despite global sanctions and patrols.
Insights
- Criminal networks, including the Triads, play a crucial role in aiding North Korea's sanctions evasion by illicitly procuring oil for its weapons program, utilizing connections to casinos for money laundering.
- China's tolerance of criminal activities near its borders, its complex relationship with North Korea, and historical ties contribute to the maintenance of North Korea's lifeline through Chinese banks, despite international sanctions and efforts to address its nuclear program.
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Recent questions
How does North Korea evade sanctions?
By utilizing criminal networks like Triads for oil procurement.
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Summary
00:00
"Uncovering Criminal Networks in North Korea"
- Investigation with Royal United Services Institute reveals faces behind criminal networks aiding North Korean sanctions evasion in Asia.
- North Korea utilizes Triads and others to illicitly procure oil, sustaining its weapons program.
- Connections to casinos, like Sun City, exploited for money laundering crucial to North Korea's weapons program.
- Triads facilitate oil trade, vital for North Korea's weapons program, ensuring military and economy function.
- Ship named Unica key in delivering fuel to North Korea despite sanctions and patrols.
- Foreign flag tanker meets North Korean tanker using WeChat and coded notes for fuel supply.
- Understanding North Korea's illicit oil imports involves grasping its history of raising money through illicit channels.
- North Korea turns to illicit activities like weapons sales, drug trafficking, counterfeiting to survive economically.
- Hong Kong nationals, including Gary Tow, operate tankers delivering oil to North Korea, linked to organized crime.
- Sun City Group, led by Alvin Chao, a major player in illegal money flows, connected to Triads and North Korean oil trade.
22:21
"Sunset Fan: North Korean Intelligence and Smuggling"
- Sunset Fan is deeply involved in North Korean intelligence operations and smuggling, known for racing sponsored by Sun City and running Sun International Automobile Company with Alvin Chao in Macau, specializing in luxury cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
- Connections between Alvin Chao, Sun City Group, and modern-day oil smuggling to North Korea, involving Hong Kong Nationals like Gary Toad, are highlighted, forming intricate networks.
- China's tolerance of criminal activities near its borders, despite signing sanctions agreements, is attributed to its anti-US stance, leading to close ties with countries engaging in organized crime or seen as pariahs by the West.
- North Korea's lifeline is maintained through Chinese banks holding accounts controlled by North Koreans, with China's complex relationship with North Korea stemming from historical ties and strategic considerations.
- Despite various attempts to address North Korea's nuclear program, including sanctions and diplomacy, the country continues to advance its arsenal, posing a threat to neighboring countries like Japan and raising global security concerns.
