U.S. preparing charges against N. Korea over Bangladesh heist: Media report

The United States is reportedly building a case implicating North Korean government of orchestrating an USD 81 million cyber heist from the Bangladesh central bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve, according to media reports.

The U.S. media has reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suspects North Korea of plundering the money and Chinese middlemen are also implicated in the heist.

The Wall Street Journal, citing officials familiar with the matter, reported on Wednesday that prosecutors also believe Chinese middlemen helped Pyongyang plunder Bangladesh Bank's funds. The case implicates the country of North Korea, rather than any particular North Korean officials, and also includes charges against the Chinese middlemen or businesses allegedly involved.

The US Treasury is reportedly also considering sanctions against the middlemen.

It follows public statements made by Richard Ledgett, the deputy director of the US National Security Agency, on Tuesday, in which he suggested North Korea could be linked to the incident.

FBI officials have been leading an international investigation after the Bangladesh Bank's funds went missing in February 2016, amounting to one of the biggest bank robberies in modern times.

The incident exposed major communication flaws between central banks, and for months left all parties involved trading the blame.