Chinese man arrested in Australia faces extradition to US over North Korea tobacco smuggling

Jin Guanghua is accused of committing bank fraud in an illegal scheme by North Korea to generate revenue through the purchase and sale of tobacco

According to the FBI, Pyongyang is one of the largest producers globally of contraband cigarettes that are sold in Asia

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A Chinese man has been accused of taking part in a North Korean scheme to generate revenue by selling counterfeit cigarettes. File photo: SCMP

Published: 1:15pm, 21 Feb 2024

A Chinese man arrested in Australia is awaiting extradition to the United States for alleged involvement in a North Korean scheme to generate revenue by selling counterfeit cigarettes, Australian authorities said on Wednesday.

Jin Guanghua was arrested in Victoria state in March in response to a request from the United States and remains in custody, Australia’s Attorney General’s Department said.

“The individual is wanted to face prosecution in the United States for a number of sanctions, bank fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy offences,” a spokesman for the department said in a statement.

The extradition warrant and Jin’s arrest was first reported by the Guardian on Tuesday.

A US indictment unsealed last year alleges Jin, a Chinese citizen, committed bank fraud in an illegal scheme by North Korea to generate revenue through the purchase and sale of tobacco.

To avoid United Nations sanctions, North Korean banks used front companies, according to the indictment.