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SINGAPORE – A director of three companies admitted in district court on Thursday (September 17) that he had illegally supplied nearly $ 580,000 worth of luxury goods to North Korea.
They include perfumes, cosmetics, and watches “coated with a precious metal.”
Chong Hock Yen runs three local companies: SCN Singapore, Sindok Trading, which is now known as BSS Global, and Laurich International, which has been renamed Gunnar Singapore.
He was also solely responsible for all three decisions.
The 60-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy to supply nearly $ 270,000 worth of luxury goods to North Korea.
Another 35 similar charges tied to the remaining amount will be considered during sentencing.
The three companies also admitted similar crimes on Thursday.
SCN pleaded guilty to six counts of luxury goods worth more than $ 220,000, while Sindok and Laurich admitted one count each.
Sindok’s charge included luxury items worth more than US $ 10,000 (S $ 13,600) and Laurich’s was linked to goods worth US $ 12,000.
The court heard that due to United Nations sanctions, it is illegal for anyone in Singapore to supply, sell or transfer designated luxury goods to North Korean entities.
Assistant prosecutors Grace Lim, Thiam Jia Min, and Charis Low testified in court documents that the companies supplied luxury goods to four entities in North Korea from December 2010 to November 2016.
They are: Bugsae Shop, Korea Jangsaeng Trading Corporation (Pyongyang), MG Corporation and New Hope Joint Venture Corporation (Pyongyang).
SCN had supplied most of the products to Bugsae Shop, which is owned by North Korean Li Ik.
His son, Li Hyon, had studied in Singapore before helping his father with the luxury goods business here.
The products were shipped to North Korea in three different ways: by air and by sea through China or by hand through check-in at the airport.
The DPPs said Chong knew that these transactions broke the law.
They added that on September 25, 2017, the Singapore Department of Commercial Affairs received information that SCN had “significant sales to more than one entity” in North Korea.
Li Hyon was jailed for four weeks earlier this year after pleading guilty to four counts of conspiring with other individuals and two companies, including SCN, to deliver luxury items such as cosmetics and spirits to North Korea.
Chong’s bail was set at $ 100,000 on Thursday and he will be sentenced on October 12.
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