Two North Korean diplomats were arrested in Sweden for smuggling 230,000 packs of Russian cigarettes, Newsis reported Saturday, citing British and Japanese new outlets.
They have diplomatic status in Russia. Swedish customs officers on Wednesday morning stopped them as they drove off a ferry from Helsinki, the Finnish capital.
In the pair's car, the officials discovered the Russian cigarettes.
The two North Koreans, a man and a woman, claimed diplomatic immunity, Newsis said.
It's not clear whether there has been any contact between the Swedish authority and the North Korean government to discuss the matter since their arrest.
Sweden's Foreign Ministry said the matter was a criminal case and was being handled by the police.
Diplomats enjoy immunity against criminal prosecution only in the countries where they are accredited.
"If you come to Sweden and commit a crime, you're just like any other foreign national," a Swedish official was quoted as saying.
![[INTERVIEW] YouTubers bridge Korean, Muslim and Latin American cultures](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/945e0052fe3c4dadb967f8bed43d0487.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Jung Woo shapes his character for Netflix's 'A Model Family'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/c12496c720f74a2b8ae2498e540ce558.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
