A Sydney man was arrested and charged on December 16 for acting an economic agent on behalf of the North Korean government, with Australian Federal Police accusing him of arranging the sale of weapons of mass destruction.

The man was identified as Chan Han Choi, a Korean-born man who became a naturalised Australian citizen three decades ago, according to News Corp Australia. The AFP said they arrested the 59-year-old at his apartment in Eastwood, in Sydney’s northwest, on Saturday after extensive investigations into his link with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Government.

The AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said in a press conference that Choi was a “loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose.” They accused him of “generating income” for the North Korean regime by brokering the sale of missile, ballistic technology and expertise from North Korea to other international entities. The AFP lodged court documents showing Choi was aware the missile components would be used in a WMD program. Gaughan clarified none of the components made it to Australian soil.

Choi was also accused of arranging the sale of coal produced in North Korea to entities in Vietnam and Indonesia, in violation of global sanctions placed against the regime. Credit: Australian Federal Police via Storyful