Ex-South Korean Anti-Espionage Officer Convicted For Smuggling Arms To Lebanon

A South Korean court has sentenced a former major to 18months in prison for smuggling strategic arms into Lebanon.

The major was part of an anti-espionage military body, the Yonhap news agency reported Friday.

Judge Lee Ki-lee of the Seoul Central District Court passed on the ruling, convicting the man for smuggling about 47,000 M-16 and AK-47 magazines to Lebanese military supplies importers.

The convict, known by his surname as Lee, met the importers while dispatched to Lebanon as part of the Defense Security Command rom 2007 to 2008.

The former major opened a trading company in November 2010 after leaving the DSC. Further, unlawfully he exported the items as automobile parts from July to December 2011.  

Lee and his two accomplices were also ordered to pay 270 thousand US dollars as compensation.

"The nature of the crime is serious as Lee, who served in an important military post, orchestrated the crime in pursuit of personal profit," the judge said.