On April 24, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed two federal indictments against a representative for the North Korean Foreign Trade Bank (FTB) for his role in a money laundering conspiracy through cryptocurrency. The indictments allege that North Korean operatives evaded sanctions, conspiring with over-the-counter cryptocurrency traders to launder stolen funds to buy stolen goods previously unavailable to North Korea due to U.S. sanctions.[1] This case also relates to a settlement by a British Tobacco Company for selling tobacco to North Korea despite previously exclaiming that they were ceasing these illicit operations.
[1] DOJ, North Korean Foreign Trade Bank Representative Charges in Crypto Laundering Conspiracies, DOJ, April 24, 2023 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/north-korean-foreign-trade-bank-representative-charged-crypto-laundering-conspiracies.