Two North Koreans detained with foreign currencies in Colombo

The Sri Lankan customs officials have detained two North Korean nationals and seized about USD 1,70,000 which they allegedly tried to sneak outside the country.

This is the first incident that a foreign government has confiscated hard cash from North Korean nationals following tough U.N. sanctions imposed on Pyongyang last month for conducting nuclear and long-range missile tests.

On the condition of anonymity, a Sri Lankan Customs official told a foreign news agency that two North Koreans were caught carrying cash amounting to US$168,000 at the international airport in Colombo where they were trying to transfer to a flight for Beijing on March 14, reports Colombo Page.

The detained North Koreans have claimed the money was wages, which they had earned along with their co-workers on a construction site in Oman.