North Korea crackdown broadens on international calls
North Korea’s security services are cracking down on international calls in the Sino-North Korean border region. It appears that most of the activity, however, is aimed at extracting money from ordinary North Koreans, Daily NK has learned.
North Korean Ministry of State Security (MSS) agents have long used mobile phone radio locators to identify suspected homes for raids and punish international callers. Recently, however, agents are diversifying their approaches and trying to catch more international callers by pretending to be ordinary people and conducting stakeouts.
“Agents who catch international callers in the act demand bribes to secure their release from custody,” a source in Ryanggang Province told Daily NK, adding that the authorities have also arrested smugglers to demand information on international callers.
“A woman living in Kangan-dong, Hyesan, was recently arrested by the MSS but didn’t know why.” ......
[Source: Daily NK]
