Seoul: An Afghan man believed to be a Taliban operative was arrested by South Korean police for allegedly attempting to smuggle tons of a chemical that can be used to make heroin or explosives to his homeland.
The suspect, identified only as Khal, 47, and an Indian accomplice were arrested at a chemical factory south of Seoul on charges of attempting to smuggle 13 US tons of acetic anhydride to Afghanistan via Iran, police said in a statement on Friday.
"We believe that the terrorist organization in Afghanistan tried to use our nation's drug-free status for their smuggling attempt aimed at securing funds for terrorism," the statement said.
Khal denied he was a Taliban member but detective Oh Ki-duk at the National Police Agency said police had evidence suggesting he was an agent for the hard-line Islamic militia.
Acetic anhydride is used, among other things, in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and for the production of brake fluids, dyes and explosives.
Exporting the chemical without government permission is banned. The suspects attempted to smuggle the substance out of the country by disguising it as car engine oil, police said.
Police uncovered a similar smuggling ring involving a Pakistani and six others in recent months that secretly exported 50 tons of acetic anhydride to Afghanistan between April 2007 and March this year.
Oh said the two cases appeared linked.
A total of 62 tons of acetic anhydride seized in the two cases could be used to produce several tons of heroin, police said.
