Australian police allege man tried to sell missile parts to help North Korea

Australian police said onSunday they had arrested a man accused of working on the blackmarket to sell missile components and coal on behalf of NorthKorea, the first charges ever brought in Australia over the saleof weapons of mass destruction.

The man had been charged with two counts under an actpreventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,police said, and with another four under legislation enforcingUnited Nations and Australian sanctions against North Korea.

The Sydney man was identified by the Australian BroadcastingCorporation and other media as 59-year-old Chan Han Choi, whothey said had been living in Australia for more than 30 yearsand was of Korean descent.

He was arrested in the Sydney suburb of Eastwood on Saturdayand was due to face court later on Sunday, police said. He cameto the attention of authorities earlier this year, theAustralian Federal Police (AFP) said.

"This man was a loyal agent of North Korea, who believed hewas acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose," AFPassistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters.

"This case is like nothing we have ever seen on Australiansoil," he said.

Parts destined for Indonesia, Vietnam

Police will allege the man tried to broker the sale ofmissile components, including software for the guidance systemsof ballistic missiles, as well as trying to sell coal to thirdparties in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Gaughan said the trade could have been worth "tens ofmillions of dollars" if successful. Cash-strapped North Korea has come under a new round of stricter United Nations sanctions this year after pressing aheadwith its missile and nuclear programmes in defiance ofinternational pressure.

Tensions have risen dramatically on the Korean peninsulabecause of the North's ballistic missile launches and its sixthand most powerful nuclear test, as well as joint military drillsbetween South Korea and the United States that the Northdescribes as preparation for war.

This is black market 101.- AFPassistant commissioner NeilGaughan

Pyongyang claimed that its latest intercontinental ballisticmissile launch in November had the range to reach all of theUnited States.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged North Korea onFriday to carry out a "sustained cessation" of its weaponstesting to allow talks about its missile and nuclear programs.

However, the North has shown little interest in talks untilit has the ability to hit the U.S. mainland with anuclear-tipped missile, which many experts say it has yet toprove.

Gaughan said the man had been in touch with high-rankingNorth Korean officials but no missile components ever made it toAustralia. He also said there was no indication officials inIndonesia or Vietnam had been involved in the attempted coalsales.

"This is black market 101," Gaughan said.

"We are alleging that all the activity occurred offshore,and was purely another attempt for this man to trade goods andservices as a way to raise revenue for the government of NorthKorea," he said.

The man faces up to 18 years in jail if convicted. He didnot apply for bail and will next face court on Wednesday.