Indonesia Investigates North Korean Restaurant for Spy Activity

Waitresses at the Pyongyang Restaurant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, perform a regular floor show for diners – representational picture..

 

Jakarta, 24 Jumadil Awwal 1438/21 February 2017 (MINA) – The high-tension spy action surrounding North Korea that started after the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, continues, now spreading to Indonesia.

The National Police have announced that they will investigate what they believe to be a North Korean spy network operating from a restaurant in Jakarta.

North Korean spies are believed to have been active in Indonesia for two decades. The spy network is believed to operate out of three countries, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, according to an earlier report by Singaporean news agency Asia One.

According to the report, North Korea’s intelligence service, the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) has been operating in these countries using spies with cover careers as engineers, technical consultants in the construction industry and restaurant operators.

“They used the restaurants as a main front to conduct intelligence gathering and surveillance, targeting Japanese and South Korean politicians, diplomats, top corporate figures and businessmen who visited or were based in these countries,” a source in Indonesian intelligence said.

 

Operating textile factories

In Indonesia, the source said, RGB was also known to be operating textile factories in major Indonesian cities, including Jakarta.

“One particular outfit located above a North Korean restaurant in central Jakarta was part of the RGB Indonesia office,” the media cite the source saying.

Police spokesperson Senior Commisioner Argo Yuwono said the police would look into the restaurant’s license before making any moves.

“We need to know first what their business is and who the owner is. There are different regulations for businesses owned by Indonesians and those owned by foreigner,” he said.

Argo also added that the investigation will cooperate with the Foreign Ministry on the restaurant case.

According to the Asia One report, the RGB used drug smuggling to finance its foreign operations. This was discovered after the intelligence service failed to smuggle 125 kg of heroin into Australia via a commercial ship in 2003. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)