Chinese national pleads guilty in US for illegally exporting arms to North Korea

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Shenghua Wen, 42, who was living illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa, was charged with violating long-standing US sanctions against North Korea. — AFP pic

WASHINGTON, June 10 — A Chinese man pleaded guilty on Monday to exporting guns and ammunition to North Korea, the Justice Department said.

Shenghua Wen, 42, who was living illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa, was charged with violating long-standing US sanctions against North Korea.

Wen, arrested in California in December, was paid US$2 million (RM8.5 million) by North Korea for the arms shipments, the Justice Department said.

Wen and unidentified co-conspirators allegedly concealed firearms and ammunition inside containers that were shipped from Long Beach, California, through Hong Kong to North Korea.

The Justice Department said law enforcement in August seized two devices at Wen’s home that he planned to send to North Korea — a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices.

In September, law enforcement seized 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea, the department said.

Wen also attempted to obtain a civilian plane engine from a US-based broker, it said.

Wen faces up to 20 years in prison for violating export controls as well as a maximum of 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is due to be sentenced on August 18. — AFP