A former North Korean diplomat in Cuba reveals a cigar smuggling network

Embassy officials “buy boxes for $50 and resell them for $1,000 abroad,” says the defecting diplomat.

The North Korean embassy in Havana is home to a cigar smuggling operation, former North Korean diplomat Lee Il-Kyu revealed in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE. Il-Kyu served in Havana on several occasions between 2011 and 2023, notably as the North Korean embassy’s second-in-command, before defecting to South Korea two years ago, becoming one of the regime’s highest-ranking officials to defect.

According to Il-Kyu, North Korean diplomats do not earn enough to live comfortably in their host countries and therefore often engage in smuggling to supplement their income, taking advantage of the fact that their diplomatic bags are not inspected.

“In Cuba, they buy [the cigars] for $50 a box and resell them for $1,000 abroad,” he explains in this interview.

“All the diplomats are involved in this trafficking,” he asserts when asked about the presence of this phenomenon in other parts of Latin America.

Born in 1972 and fluent in Spanish, Lee Il-kyu (formerly known as Ri Il-guy) served as Deputy Director for Latin American Affairs and Political Advisor at the Pyongyang Embassy in Havana, one of the highest positions in North Korean diplomacy.

In August 2024, the diplomat had already told the BBC that he had engaged in cigar smuggling to supplement his official salary of $500, without providing further details.

Photo: North Korean embassy in Havana (© Google Maps)