A New Twist on Mob Rule

0 Comments | Insight on the News, March 15, 1999 | by John Elvin

North Korea has, in effect, turned into a vast criminal enterprise," reports U.S. News & World Report magazine, citing a variety of drug incidents, counterfeiting cases and other alleged crimes attributable to that country's government. "If North Korea were not a nation, you could indict it as a continuing criminal enterprise," one expert said in the article. Government-sponsored crime is conducted through embassies worldwide using diplomatic pouches and immunity, according to the report.

In addition to manufacturing a variety of drugs -- including Rohypnol, the "date-rape drug" -- the North Korean government produces "some of the world's best bogus currency with the same model press used by the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving," the article notes. As for smuggling, the magazine found reports of North Korean involvement in drugs, currency, cigarettes, alcohol, diamonds, vehicles, fake antiques, electronic goods, weapons, elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, pirated CD recordings and more. Some experts cited in the report believe most of the enormous profit from these efforts goes toward expansion of North Korea's nuclear-weapons program.