Did North Korea Smuggle $100 Million of Heroin Overseas? | Investigators

This is the story of how an alleged North Korean ship attempted to smuggle $100 million worth of heroin onto the shores of Australia.
Journalist Richard Baker and Detective Superintendent Des Appleby piece together one of the biggest drug smuggling operations into Australia.
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[@estr0genesis359]

this needs to be a full length documentary, thats crazy

[@SomeOne-zw6kh]

There are documentaries/memoirs from people that escaped from there. They're worth watching/reading / listening to. It's crazy over there.

[@richier5746]

Pong su investigation doco

[@richier5746]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKLTeKGbprKhrKs

[@GodsWheat]

Is it me or vice started creating more decent content?

[@em2things499]

@@SomeOne-zw6kh qqqq

[@C.U.N.Tahiti]

Prison in Australia was probably a paradise compared to life in North Korea, which is just one big public prison anyway. I bet they were disappointed and terrified to learn they were going back

[@ginadivine1841]

Exactly and nearly did time in the Australian prison, they should have rotted there.

[@Yougotbaited24]

@@ginadivine1841 😂😂

[@4lads1dream85]

I'd say definitely disappointing to learn your about to get home to The Guillotine 😳

[@katiempojer]

Just thought this

[@4lads1dream85]

@Afro-Russ Nah buddy your wrong. I've been to some shitholes trust me..... Canada was nice though 🤣

[@AwokenEntertainment]

what a story.. well they gotta make their money somehow..

[@orangutanchildstealer6110]

yes, yes they did

[@BlessedWithLuck]

Without even watching the video, yes.... yes they did.

[@mohdrizalbenomar9495]

Are you their runner...?

[@yourgamersource123]

Thanks for the synopsis lmfao

[@Th3Watch3r]

😂

[@Th3Watch3r]

@🕊️ Peace 🕊️ you.. so fake

[@wikilee8928]

The ship may be flying N. Korean Flag, but the smugglers were the Chinese, they did NOT speak Korean, they spoke Chinese. It's more like the Chinese drug dealers were using a N. Korean ship to smuggle drugs. The drugs were marked with Khun Sa's label. Khun Sa was the son of a Chinese soldier who fled to Golden Triangle. Khun Sa is known for producing the purest heroin in the world market, usually at 99.9% purity.

[@SQUAREHEADSAM1912]

I absolutely love these North Korea documentaries.

[@alvarolara7969]

I feel like I’m addicted to them lol

[@davidmansoor1364]

Take it easy

[@AaronTravelsThailand]

have you seen the mole? best documentary yet; assasins is also very good. both about north korea.

[@SQUAREHEADSAM1912]

@@equinox2584 lol, I should’ve phrased that better.

[@Shawn-qs8jn]

Right its so informing and addictive

[@dieselbaby2398]

so stoked to finally see a good documentary done on this story, been following this one for over a decade.

[@John-zt8fd]

Forensic investigators done one years ago mate.

[@joshua7233]

"They were bringing essentially six bags ashore, we recovered 5 and we believe one was lost at sea". Suuuuuure, one was lost at sea. See what you did there ;)

[@parisz]

Exactly. Way too obvious!!!

[@gilmore6168]

What did they did?

[@-jc-3380]

Took one for them self's

[@Rocket_Man.]

"Merry Christmas"

[@fuse911]

To be honest the true story would have been they found 20, lost 10, said they found 6 but lost 1. Next thing you hear is a drug dealer or a jail inmate caught with 2 bags

[@terryt2728]

$100m of heroin in Australia is like what..a gram and a half??? How do people in Australia afford their drugs??

[@nervioso292]

100 milions$ 🤦‍♂️ not a 100$

[@psilobom]

150 kilos

[@usernamesta3334]

@@nervioso292 makes sense 🙄

[@nervioso292]

@@usernamesta3334 it's obvious to us,not to Terry T2

[@adidascap9441]

@@nervioso292 I believe he was making a joke because drugs in Australia are very expensive

[@ryanfisher8597]

Honestly I’d rather be in Australian prison than live under tyranny and starvation

[@jin_cotl]

At least being upside down, only eating vegemite, and watching kangaroos through your jail cell is a lot better than being publicly hanged or beaten in NK

[@nobueno3514]

you live in America

[@user-eh4wg2ex6j]

@@nobueno3514 😂

[@sirnoobalot2632]

So you been there. Or just belive what you hear?

[@jay3timess]

@@nobueno3514 and?

[@jokeradviser5843]

What a history! Thanks, Vice.

[@williamwong8424]

Wong Ta Sa sounds like Singaporean hokkien slang. Especially at 4:36 with the word KNN, tia bo. haha

[@petermckinnon7102]

The crew were held at Barwon prison in a unit on their own with normal maximum security freedom. They stayed as a tight knit group doing everything for the captain. Always polite and compliant for staff. The captain would have them assemble on the basketball/tennis court regularly where he would address them. One of our officers was in the navy at the time of the incident and was on a pursuit rib pursuing the pong su. The boat was in rough conditions and hit a wave where the crew were thrown about in the rib. He sustained back injuries that absolutely gave him grief from then on.

[@xavierprince1]

Kim jong un: I will have my American dream

[@sdqsdq6274]

really ? i think he already have that dream and living it ,brainwash people and worship like a god , which american does that, lol

[@catboynestormakhno2694]

@@sdqsdq6274 plenty of politicians

[@inadaizz]

22-24 YEARS?! For being forced into it.

[@jfkassnation5980]

I was an addict in Sydney 20 years ago. The gear was pure AF. Hence lots of od's. Price: $200 per gram.

[@Filzzy]

That’s mad I brought an 8th 3.5g for £120

[@iballisticduals3048]

@@Filzzy you mean you bought an eigth of levamisol laced with gear.

[@frankAshten]

@@iballisticduals3048 you have no idea what was in any of theirs. Lmao

[@sinas.7700]

"The sheer audacity of them actually coming down to Australia and park right next to the coast of Australia" -Native Australians when these British people showed up

Australia was an English word

[@rossicourvosi218]

@@rottingravensblood9106 was* the British came and took everything

[@cmonman85]

"Slavery, Colonialism & Colonization" are all evil things done and benefited by evildoers. Anglo West/Christian Europeans are major participants and benefactors of centuries-long global, - Slavery, - Colonialism, - Colonization worldwide, from North/South America to Australia/New Zealand to Siberia/Far-East Asia, to this day. 🤔 For God's honest truths, pls read informative multi-pages 'Ole Fella' comment at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmfRnHSMmsyeZsk

[@axxm1278]

australia was a land of banishment lmao, britain would exile criminals there, i don't believe there were any "native australians"

[@johnmcdonald9295]

@@rottingravensblood9106 and sheet

[@dizzle6709]

Word of advice.. Any time you are looking at 20+ years in prison for a guilty verdict from a plea deal .. TAKE IT TO TRIAL!

[@rossicourvosi218]

Why?

[@TheJohnlyh]

Wouldn't you have been to trial, to get a 20 year verdict

[@dizzle6709]

@@TheJohnlyh no it said they took a plea deal. That avoids trial.

[@dizzle6709]

@@rossicourvosi218 because there’s nothing to lose. The captain of the boat ended up getting off of the crime because it went to trial. If it was trial or 1 year with the potential of 20 with a guilty verdict in trial, then you take the plea deal.

[@cameronsweirdnaturechannel]

Ross Ulbrigt

[@BenWillock]

Why on earth did they deport those other men? They had to have known they'd face reprecussions for failing.

[@n00dles79]

I would’ve told the all knowing leader to come pick them up on his own, alone. We’ll meet in public ;)

[@josefigueroa6943]

Maybe they didnt

[@OOKIEDOKIE]

Why would they care? They tried to smuggle drugs into their country which would ruin lives, promote crime, and fund a dictatorship. They didn't owe them any favors.

[@2010RSHACKS]

Fentanyl ends lives, heroin makes mentally Ill lives bearable

[@detectiveandy6323]

I think they wanted to go back, one wouldn't even take off his little pin. Why? I don't know

[@mutestingray]

I like how, in Australian, that guy's inner thoughts sound like a threat.

[@gbpjpy415]

I just heard Super Wog and lost it 😂😂😂…

[@MGiordano]

This was a great watch. This is the Vice I love.

[@richier5746]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKLTeKGbprKhrKs Heres another good one on pong su

[@farazkhan7035]

very good journalism. keep up the good work

[@SL-ed4vg]

Very interesting. I listened to the radio intercepts of the smuggling crew and its not Korean language. At 3:10 mark, it sounded like Mandarin Chinese, and at the 4:33 mark, they spoke maybe Hokkien? (a chinese dialect). The ship crew is definitely not all Koreans but by the language, looked like have Chinese crews on board too.

[@GoldnJewelz]

They are Taiwanese

[@asdkotable]

The story is so interesting, according to Wikipedia, they were mostly Chinese ethnicity from South East Asia or Chinese of Korean ethnicity, but being someone from the Chinese North-East, where most of the Korean-Chinese live, the Mandarin I heard doesn't sound North-Eastern at all.

[@huangjoe4372]

Sounds like Malaysia Chinese.

[@lorettaa5126]

the 3 accomplices are not north koreans but probably malaysians. they were speaking mandarin and hokkien.

[@kunyudu9400]

you are right.I think they are taiwanese

[@TTOS69]

Wow glad you were there to see the facts and read their DNA! I can speak Spanish and I'm American. Does that mean I'm from Spain or Mexico?

[@84jordie]

@@TTOS69 It is different from what you are saying. The people in the video speak a certain dialect of Chinese, that is only native to a certain area. For example, Barcelona is in Spain, but they speak Catalan in Barcelona, and you would rarely find someone who speaks that language all over the world, unlike Spanish.

[@84jordie]

They thought using North Korean badges all over the ship would deter them from being sent to NK(as N.Korea would have no idea who these guys are) or Malaysia (where I think they are from too) which has the death penalty for drugs. Too bad for these guys, NK accepted them and will deal with them for defaming their country.

[@lorettaa5126]

@@TTOS69 hahaha.. the accent gives it away, Malaysian is not in their DNA. Their DNA would say they are human being of asian descent, most likely from south east asia. But that's about it. HAHAHAHAH Oh, and lots of countries speak Spanish - including South America, not just Spain or Mexico.

[@Fadlinification]

The Asian guy on the radio was speaking Hokkien Sounds like a Singaporean or a Malaysian

[@muff5568]

Definitely sg or msia. No other world will speak like this especially the KNN!

[@muff5568]

@Mv Fangs its hokkien not singlish. Hokkien is the dialect. Singlish is English speaking in SG way.

[@muff5568]

@Mv Fangs In the video is clearly speaking in Hokkien not Singlish my friend and it's also my everyday language to my elderly and I think my last comment indicated the differences between Hokkien and Singlish clear enough.

[@EZ1111]

Lol those guys deffo got executed they must've enjoyed their prison time in Australia.

[@ryanwoods8725]

If police didn't have a CI they wouldn't know hardly anything about the operations

[@Thenotfunnyperson]

A giant no boat chilling would have raised no red flags at all

[@detectiveandy6323]

You have to feel some pity for those NK guys. It might not only be them getting executed, but their whole family might have suffered some sort of punishment also. The one NK guy could have begged for leniency, but he wore his little pin with honor and love for his leader, shows how brainwashed the country is.

[@stevewing6851]

LOL @ Propaganda, what it really does to the less educated of our societies, you have NO IDEA about N. Korea, or anything thy do at all, you just talk obvious propaganda we've head non-stop. Most of us do understand that, but we still do have the less educated of our societies, many you'll read here, that suck all this up like the good little brain-dead's they all are. You feel sorry for them while I feel sorry for you, I can't imagine what it must be like to be so uneducated, this world must seem like a playground?

[@andreiadriano7836]

Oo

[@detectiveandy6323]

@@stevewing6851 what right do you have to tell me what I should and shouldn't feel? Are you a narcissist? And what makes you such a expert in North Korean society? Sound like a rambling jackass to me. And I don't go off propaganda, I listen and watch free press like vice news that have smuggled videos out of NK, see with my eyes and ears. Nobody influences me, I make my own opinions, I surely wouldn't trust state tv from a dictator 😆

[@stevewing6851]

@@detectiveandy6323 HAHAHA An American calling someone a "Narcissist"? PRICELESS. Narcissist = The distinctive traits of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder include: Lack of empathy. ... An exaggerated sense of self-importance. Feelings of entitlement. ... Selfishness in relationships. ... Enviousness and suspicion of other people's motivations. ... A need for excessive praise and attention. Superiority and entitlement. ... Exaggerated need for attention and validation. ... Perfectionism. ... Great need for control. ... Lack of responsibility-blaming and deflecting. ... Lack of boundaries. ... Warped emotional reasoning. Well, 325 million of them can be found in the USA. In 2015, Russia exposed the USA to the American people and the entire world, for supporting terrorists in Syria, and that forced the USA, to admit to the whole world, that they had recruited - Trained - Armed - Supplied - Protected - Paid - and used, brutal terrorists, the “Free Syria Army”, (sorry I forgot, today, the Americans like the term “moderate head chopping fake rebels”), it's only terrorists to the rest of this world, ...my mistake. But do you know?, that not one American, has ever condemned it? Not one has done the right thing, and stood up against it? Or even protested against it?, as every other society on earth, would be doing, if any of our governments were forced to admit what the USA admitted. Far from seeing anyone of them, protest against it?. What is the reality, what do we really see? We see millions of Americans cheering their criminal president, and we see millions of Americans chanting USA USA USA, (just like Nazi's today). And we have never seen a single American, stand up against it, why not? 2018, Teresa May announces British strikes on Syria, within 3 hours, literally hundreds of thousands of people are stood outside Parliament protesting against it. 2018, Emmanuel Macron announces French strikes on Syria, later that evening in Paris, hundreds of thousands of people are protesting against it. 2015, Russia exposes the USA to the American people and the entire world for supporting and supplying terrorists in Syria, forcing the USA to admit what they'd been doing recruiting - training - arming - supplying - protecting - and paying the Free Syria Army, who were nothing more than brutal terrorists, responsible for thousands of murders across Syria and thousands of rapes and executions of women and their kids in city after city. And still, 5 years later, not one American has even condemned it, let alone protested against it. The truth is, something that seems to be forgotten today?, but what was the most asked question after WW2?, a question asked all the way into the early 1980s? "Why did the German people do nothing"? And what's worse, is, that we can understand today, why the German people did what they did?. They were starving to death with the harshness of the Versailles treaty, while also dying in large numbers during the great depression, so quite naturally, they'd of supported absolutely anything that offered them hope? These American people have no such excuse. The only society we've ever seen do this before in modern history, (not even protest against their own country's killing, once the people found out)?, was indeed Nazi Germany 1933-1945, and that's the only time in modern history the people of any society, have done what these American people are today. Me a "Narcissist"? Really? LOL The (people) of any society, only ever need to remember one simple thing??, the easy way to figure out the right from the wrong, (in any likely war scenario)?, is to ask yourself what you'd be fighting for? Because the answer to that question, should be showing you whose right, and whose wrong? If they just ask themselves if, the USA went to war today, against either Russia, China, Iran, or N. Korea? Then what would they all be fighting for? Then, ask themselves what the Russians, Chinese, Iranian's, or Korean's be fighting for, they'd come to find, they'll all be fighting for their freedom, fighting for their own country's freedom, (ring any bells)?. While the Americans will only be fighting for attempted American tyranny?, and that's no different from Nazi Tyranny! How Ironic!. But that's what they're all, in effect, supporting today?, and if they really can't see that? Well, all I can say to that, is, the Nazi was just like that, they couldn't see it either! They'll all be seen by history, as the Axis powers, (trying for American Tyranny over the rest of the world), while the rest of the world will all be seen by history, as the allied powers, fighting against attempted American tyranny, for their own freedom, and their own country's freedom? That's the truth and the REALITY. The Irony, of course, is?, that we should all insist we fight against the USA today?. As we'd all be, once again, on the right side of history, fighting US tyranny for our own freedom, as otherwise we might as well be asking when will it be our turn?. Next they'll be coming out with their next excuses I always get about now? They'll now say, they have been protesting, but the media won't show it? How many times do you think I've read that lie? It's like they're totally unaware that we have many other media outlets, like RT, that would show it without question? No, the truth is, none of them have ever stood up against it, and all we get is denial and silly lies, they're the worst! Truth will always out, and that truth today is, the American people themselves are at fault, it's up to them to demand their government stops this? NOBODY else can do that! ONLY THEY CAN!!... DO YOU GET IT YET? What a Nazi.

[@stevewing6851]

@@detectiveandy6323 Good God, man, just what sort of low life POS are we really talking about here? WELL?

[@WHiT3_SHAD0W]

10:00 and it's even crazier that they would of gotten away with it if that one person didn't say anything.

[@cancerino666]

Te only thing I don't get is why military blew up the boat and sank it in the ocean? I mean, even if there is absolutely no use for it and you want to sink it instead of scrapping for materials, at least you could use it to build coral reefs. Give a man a hammer and everything looks like a nail.

[@ianfarquharson3772]

They did turn it into a coral reef. Where do you think it ended up after bombed?? Not like it would of been blown to tiny bits. Will be a huge fake reef system. Handy as their Great Barrier reef isn't doing to great

[@MrMrsregor]

but it will become a base for future coral reef. just not completely intact, partially blow up ships still become reef

[@richier5746]

The amount of money the government had to pay to hold the pong su in port was ridiculous... Plus its a smuggling vessel, why cany the air force practice smart bombing ships, its what theyre paid to learn how to do?

[@chobai9996]

Pollution...you don't just randomly blow up a ship everywhere, plus...um...why would you have all those drugs dumped in the ocean, you want to kill the fish?

[@namenotfound8747]

Use your head. Not your feelings. Why would Australia want or need to keep a smugglers ship? The amount of money it took to take it and keep it was more then whatever they could get from scrapping it. Look up how and where ships are scrapped. It's not something that happens in all countries. More then likely to scrap it, it would need to get sent to Africa. On top of that, say they found out later that the ship had some secrets that weren't uncovered, it's potential liability is enough to make sure no government wants to deal with unforeseen fallout. So it served it's purpose by getting blown up and sinking. Now fish can and coral can live on it.

[@ZeddZeeee]

good stuff vice! keep it up

[@blowfish8203]

What's odd is that this is a NK ship, but the guys that was already on land and communicating with the ship (I assume), were speaking in Chinese.

[@Saurophaganax1931]

I assume it was an anti-surveillance tactic. If you don’t want the authorities to know you’re from North Korea then you probably shouldn’t be speaking in Korean.

[@Viking102938]

...So basically, if your local heroin prices have gon down, you can thank North Korea : P

[@simontan5295]

Covid sent the prices roaring ppl just quit lol.

[@kinsleydu]

There 3 guys that police referred as "Shore Party" are not North Koreans or China. According to the voice recordings, they're most likely 95% Singaporean or maybe 5% could he Malaysian. As I'm from Singapore I can tell by the accent, the vocabulary and the words they use. Their speaking Singlish & Singapore style Hokkien. They have South East Asia Chinese name too.

[@TennisGvy]

Seems like they were a mix of Malaysian, Chinese, and Singaporean nationals. The two claiming to be Chinese nationals: one was Korean ethnicity from Northern China, and the other had moved to and resided in Cambodia and Malaysia.

[@madhirer9969]

U are right. Singaporean.

[@David-og7di]

The dope is Double Lion from Myanmar.

[@happy_go_lucky_arts555]

“It was different. Different from the ordinary.” Yeah that’s what different means..

[@Muhammed_Shameer_Quraish_KM]

😂

[@usernamesta3334]

😂

[@blueonblack83]

😂

[@TAEYYO]

😂

[@unknownalias6278]

😂

[@albashir7140]

Great reporting thank you 🙏

[@thepunisher2988]

"The Extradition Act 1988 does not allow for the extradition of a person where the offence is subject to the death penalty unless an undertaking is provided that the death penalty will not be imposed, or, if it is imposed, that it will not be carried out. In cases where a person elects to waive extradition, the Attorney-General must be satisfied that, on return to the requesting country, there is no real risk that the death penalty will be carried out upon the person in relation to that offence." Australia is one of the countries that love to point fingers at other nations on human rights issues, but it doesn't practice what it preaches.

[@yowie1175]

The men in the recordings were speaking Mandarin Chinese and not Korean.

[@whatareyou1679]

Probably they want to blame korean. Mostly drugs from Myanmar and Thailand. So this ship owner Korea but Malaysia and Chinese citizens drug dealers hired the ship. But Australia didn't mention that's. They just pointing out North Korea. There no proof of North Korea party photos or videos. Propaganda movie?

[@chobai9996]

@@whatareyou1679 actually, a lot of the drugs come from China itself too, especially fentanyl. Government officials turn a blind eye as long as they get a cut of the profits. But, everyone is too scared to say anything bad about China, so they blame it on all the poor countries like Malaysia, Thailand, etc.

[@k3pm909]

Yes the west can’t tell the f@&!ing different damn white.

[@c7lee]

Was going to comment this myself, odd it was never mentioned in the video.

[@zac2780]

Can't believe they automatically show close captions with Australians lol

[@MultiSciGeek]

Awesome work, Vice!

[@brittabadie1512]

“Could only imagine what was going through there mind, you know, what was goin through their mind as these big Australian soldiers…..” Hinting to the fact that North koreas malnourishment of its citizens is so bad a lot of them are blind/going blind, and on average, several inches shorter than their southern counterparts citizens.

[@bobbycrenshaw5167]

Remember the one who tried to escape- a border guard(?)- he was shot and survived. South Korean doctors found he was infiltrated with worms…….so, YEAH……..it ain’t LOVELY being a citizen of North Korea in the lower class.

[@jeremias-serus]

Moreso than that, the race of the Korean is Oriental. Oriental raced individuals are puny compared to European raced individuals, which is what standard Australian’s are.

[@d_reeves1133]

@@jeremias-serus lmao okayy key board warrior, we all know about you creeps living in your mama's basement, don't you feel ashamed talking about race when all you have for yourself is your prejudice?

[@bobbycrenshaw5167]

@@jeremias-serus You mean like Yao Ming?🙄 kzbin.infocPyfn8Uj6-w?feature=share

[@jonathangrafton4016]

@@jeremias-serus That's racism so old it has a social security number of 0.

[@imlovely6522]

The fact that we get free documentaries on KZbin by VICE News is truly a gift.. 👍

[@Beezleybuzz]

Nothing is free.

[@ericherstedt3217]

You're a bot

[@obtuseangler768]

The fact that it's real Vice again and not that HBO garbage is even better!

[@davidmansoor1364]

Wow the overlords are so genny.

[@nicholasha1]

@@Beezleybuzz how come i just watched it without paying then

[@jacksoncampbell3595]

Damn, when I was being born these guys were going through it

[@Skateandcreate9]

Before any of us were born lots of people were “going through it”

[@CapybaraTeam]

Thai minister who pleaded guilty in Sydney heroin case now says 'it was flour'

[@JM-xv2qp]

I can't believe they just blew up the ship vs using it - selling it - or recycling it. Shame.

[@shaggybalboa8276]

It's actually a good thing because the remnants of the boat will become a coral reef some day, assisting a very fragile form of life in blooming in the region

[@user-if1to5mh2j]

@@shaggybalboa8276 they sank it with 100k USD worth of fuel on it. The ship was valued at 200k it cost the Australian tax payer $2M.

[@davidbulak8583]

@@shaggybalboa8276 its garbage in the ocean, that's hardly a good thing. Its most likely way too deep to form a reef as well.

[@deanvarelas600]

I thought the same there had to be a better use, not to mention the cost of the missiles and flying those jets to blow it up, we've become so use yo reckless military spending its commonplace now so no one bats an eye, they blow billions with a B most likely trillions over decades of sheer negligence

[@user-lv6rn9cf8m]

1:45 Had no idea Australian police employed human sorcerers.

[@johnnykwon8173]

Interesting recollection of events. Also a very real rationale for legal precedence. If found not guilty, why was their sole means of transport scuttled?

[@richier5746]

You expect the smuggling vessel to be handed back? It was costing the government money to keep it in port, plus its good practice for out airforce to practice with weapons

[@johnnykwon8173]

@@richier5746 yeah I figured that last part would be fun for the navy demo team. Seems like a rather heavy handed penalty incurred by the defendants, however. I suppose that is a typical outcome, the loss of property by way of appropriation.

[@ChandranPrema123]

Just 5 days ago Pakistan raided North Korean Embassy due to Suspicious of Smuggled Liquor 🤣.

[@eugeniocalucci3825]

None was found

[@ImportedFromSerbia]

raided embassy?! I don't think so, dude.

[@iwrotethis4712]

@@ImportedFromSerbia it happee

[@Yougotbaited24]

@@ImportedFromSerbia yes it did, read the news and educate yourself before mindlessly speaking on topics you have absolutely no idea about.

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

@@Yougotbaited24 He's probably confused, because that's not how embassies are supposed to work

[@juanwononeyuan]

Betteridge's law of headlines is an adage that states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

[@collieman]

Yeah it must have been a French vessel judging by the pictures of the North Korean leader on the ship and North Korea saying they were NK citizens.

[@youngdn.s.r1021]

I heard that the tip in Bangkok was intentional, and that ship was meant to be distraction, I read a online leaked file in 2007 I wish I could find it again!!!

[@jaimejimenez4223]

well yeah cartels in México here do that

[@mjfan653]

wouldnt be surprised.... even in this operation, they seemed to be doing it as rather a regular operation not some big one-off heist. in any case, as long as there will be demand, there will be drugs. only choice is, do we tax and regulate or let these sorts of criminals deal them. because demand is as old as humanity, and in large part a neccesity for modern life

[@youngdn.s.r1021]

@@mjfan653 ya they were definitely distraction, cartels do it too, send few ppl through to get caught so concentration on that activity

[@youngdn.s.r1021]

@@mjfan653 I found old video showing that 2 large boats and 4 small boats left with the cargo ship from North Korea

[@quimsolls1]

I listened to the full podcast, the story is even crazier than it seems here, and the popo recorded it all, so you can actually hear everything that happened, give it a listen! Also IIRC the guys who went back to NK did not get executed as this video suggests (at least at the time the podcast was released).

[@hangkikuta6786]

4:38 that was some Malaysian/Taiwanese speaking as I can hear the Hokkien language 9:51 that was a port clearance certificate from Taiwan Very suspicious if you ask me

[@ericanthony2852]

Vice never disappoint

[@jackk5878]

Opium Poppy farming has been a massively ongoing operation for years now; why else would that much raw, matured poppy sap be needed for anything else..?

[@dewilew2137]

Centuries, really.

[@0BRAINS0]

Baking bread and that's *it* .

[@TheFurion101]

Morphine? Legal opiods and painkillers used in professional medical settings? Everything illegal is used in some ways legally, regulated, even fentanyl I believe. I'm exaggerating a little obviously, I don't have expert knowledge but you get the point.

[@sour7654]

What is the song in the background starting at 0:50

[@Rocket_Man.]

"Guess who's back?" -Rocket Man

[@roycesong6620]

They weren't speaking Korean in the audio clip. It sounds more like a Chinese dialect.

[@zeonmx]

Because they were indeed speaking mandarin chinese, not Korean. Which makes absolutely no sense how this video proves it was a North Korean vessel.

[@RM-fe6ye]

They’re not North Koreans. The language is not Korean instead sound Chinese. Even the drugs had Chinese letters. Very odd.

[@TennisGvy]

The audio is Chinese, yeah. I'm still watching waiting for an explanation tho

[@ywlee319]

Propaganda, how can vice not know. The smuggler's last name is Wong. Please find me one Korean name Wong.

[@TennisGvy]

@@ywlee319 One of those on board was an official in the Korean's Worker Party. Honestly it's just an all around lazy video. I learned more about it on Wikipedia in 3 minutes than I did in this 10 minute video

[@whatareyou1679]

It's Chinese speaking

[@theunknownguy265]

Propaganda at its finest

[@bobcosmic]

VICENews keep us updated!

[@bobcosmic]

@Black Lesbian Poet Thanks for your comment .

[@_letstartariot]

I didn’t expect to come across a story that happened so close to where I live.

[@scottthompson5800]

Bad heroin problem in your area?

[@hindolmukherjee1191]

North Korea is like that really quiet kid in class but once you start talking to him, you get to know how messed up he is and probably why he is alone.

[@hindolmukherjee1191]

@Afro-Russ He had chronic depression and family issues ... That what I found out; Sadly

[@SQUAREHEADSAM1912]

Sounds just like me in high school

[@savagex466-qt1io]

Or like the Durka Durka kid that smells like Cury and like you know his dad beats him bad if he does not get stright A's

[@savagex466-qt1io]

@@SQUAREHEADSAM1912 Well haveing a square head is a tuff start ! However ! We know your smart Sam ! God bless you !

[@Lycan23beast]

And that's why you shouldn't mess with the quiet kid. Let it be.

[@astralfluxaf]

I’m like “uh yeah probably..“ North Korea’s government runs on the hard stuff

[@gg3675]

the US government does too

[@Rocket_Man.]

@@gg3675 wanna race?

[@gg3675]

@@Rocket_Man. I think the US is gonna win this one. There was basically no opium production in Afghanistan at the beginning of the war. Now it’s a several billion dollar market. On the surface they blame everything on the Taliban but if you dig down it’s mostly our fault with reasons ranging from ineptitude to active corruption. Good luck to DPRK in our race to the bottom!

[@autumn7809]

I got an ad for rehab on this video

[@george8052]

The title cracked me up

[@intuitreptition8998]

Some of the guys were clearly speaking Mandarin on some of the recordings

[@RJ-kt9hy]

Mandrin for the first recording and hokkien for the 2nd one when they said one of them has died

[@j.d.5262]

I upvoted this video 13s after being uploaded just because its about North Korea by VICE.

[@kiddankula5480]

Aw he thinks it's reddit

[@LowMedow]

13 is the perfect number 😈

[@aaronthepsychonaut5771]

r/pyongyang

[@j.d.5262]

@@kiddankula5480 I'm old darnit!

[@wandagarcia2003]

Well organized

[@ThePizzaGoblin]

Was that a gunshot scar on the cops face? I'd like to hear the story behind that

[@muff5568]

That sound record more like Singaporean or Malaysian especially the KNN. No other world would speak like this only in MYSG.

[@MarduksonofEa]

I feel bad for the guys who were sent back to NK. Australia should have done something.

[@brandon9172]

Australia deports refugees fleeing from poverty and war: Australia deports drug traffickers: NO YOU CANT DO THAT

[@designner5151]

@Black Lesbian Poet eww a black lesbian

[@neuroplasticity]

@@brandon9172 I have doubt they wanted anything to do with this. Being tied to NK means you're owned by other people.

[@MarduksonofEa]

@@brandon9172 They shouldn't do that either. Economic migrants are a different story.

[@MarduksonofEa]

@Afro-Russ I don't go with anecdotes especially only one. Reports maybe conflicting but it's no free world there. Plus the footballer can literally go back but he is choosing not to. That tells me more than his words.

[@AngelLopez-ir2tz]

Thought hank hill was doing the voiceover at first 😭😂

[@PigRipperLAW]

End the War on Drugs.

[@josso1]

really interesting I knew they were involved in drug smuggling but I'd never heard of this particular case

[@gsaexperience8578]

Really? You knew North Korea was involved in drug trafficking?

[@josso1]

@@gsaexperience8578 Read my comment again

[@gsaexperience8578]

“I knew they were involved in drug trafficking” who else would you be taking about? The story is on North Korea

[@josso1]

@@gsaexperience8578 ok I'm getting a particularly cunty vibe from you through text, I simply was saying it was an interesting video and I wasn't aware of this *particular* case.

[@gsaexperience8578]

Lol I was just curious how you knew North Korea was involved in drug trafficking is all

[@sleepjojo]

They guys on the phone aren’t speaking North Korean it’s Mandarin/Chinese

[@Th3Watch3r]

Is there North Korean and South Korean language? Or is it just Korean?

[@muff5568]

Is not Mandarin or Chinese but is Hokkien. Typically speaking from Malaysia/Singapore chinese descent.

[@richier5746]

One of the people involved is from Malaysia. I believe he was instructed to get involved to repay debts owed from gambling in Asia

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@Jorge-rw6nz]

Why didn't they approach the the Pong Su from the beginning?

[@johnc3525]

Wait, Australian police waited until the morning and didn't do a no-knock invasion in the wrong apartment and terrorized innocent people while humiliating them? Wow.

[@FieryOfficial]

Wdym? Is that what they actually did?

[@johnc3525]

@@FieryOfficial It's sarcasm. Police has done that in the US a few times. Invaded the wrong house at night, got shot back because the occupant thought it was being attacked and killed the guy, or the police simply killed one guy who had a gun but was sleeping, another time humiliated a woman in the wrong apartment, etc.

[@FieryOfficial]

@@johnc3525 Yikes, murica

[@jbird976]

Don't forget the part where they shoot the dog or kill an innocent either as collateral or by mistake 🤷 🙃

[@axxm1278]

@@johnc3525 lmao if you're referring to BT you'd know it was a no knock warrant, and that they ignored their orders and announced their presence even though they didn't have to

[@n00dles79]

I love how everybody unanimously decries drug dealers and drugs but then when the conversation shifts to lost drug packages at sea everyone is like “oh yeah man I’d kill for a hundred million dollars!!” Like … you still have to sell the drugs and kill people and ruin lives in the process lol. All the stuff that was just talked about isn’t irrelevant now that you have possession of the drugs.

[@thatyoudliketoknow1628]

It's not the same person writing those things, if it's not unthinkable that there exists more than 3 people on the internet

[@n00dles79]

@@thatyoudliketoknow1628 lol .. what? I’m not talking about any comments. I’m talking about the podcast guys last comment. About new cars and bikes in Victoria and all smiles. Why can’t he be all smiles about the North Koreans that would be getting food and water with that drug money?

[@jeremias-serus]

He was clearly joking, but go off king.

[@n00dles79]

@@jeremias-serus oh he was? Oh ok thanks man your word is for sure bond

[@CreatingAlong]

You sound like you have a lot of experience in this....

[@evanoneill619]

This wouldn't be a surprise by any stretch!

[@360flipmaster]

This is the kind of stuff vice is good at

[@hashtag3650]

Was that Korean they were speaking? It sounded more Chinese to me.

[@suntaitai]

Agree, their surnames are Chinese too

[@andrewhsu7202]

Chinese lettering on the actual heroin too. Assuming that these NK guys were acting in cooperation with Chinese drug manufacturers.

[@dyu8184]

Because the ship is owned by North Korea, wouldn't be surprise if there is cooperation

[@iwillloveyoursoulifyourepl5557]

Imagine how much money north Korea could make from drug dealing since its such a closedd country

[@Theinhen]

Yeah lol, besides Heroin, they make from morphine, which comes from the Opium they grow, they manufacture Methamphetamine, in crystals form or pill, known as yaba lol, from Ephedrine, directly extracted from ephedra plants, for Australia, Philippines, Thailand and maybe some other clients. They just need to import a few chemicals which are common in agri-food and basic organic chemistry suppliers from China (everyone does it lol) And then the labor cost of growing, extracting, processing and packaging is basically free in the Republic of North Korea 🇰🇵 😆 Hope that helps 😀

[@pear-zq1uj]

if I was them I'd manufacture every drug I can. Imagine being able to create all illegal drugs without fear of getting arrested and having territory the size of a country to do it in.

[@tommysoprano1441]

Amazing stuff

[@David-og7di]

The packaging on the dope is Double Lion from Myanmar. 2000 was a glut year in Australia for that stuff. It was being imported in some very effective ways through the ports. I wish I didn't know this stuff but it's no secret these days.

[@tommylivings7846]

🦁🦁

[@leonnorris3080]

I wish they would send another shipment! Do you know how hard it is to find real heroin?

[@BillBondsHasAPosse]

Ain’t that the truth !

[@JhelleMies]

True

[@JoumSutin]

Is it really that hard to get hold of in Aus? The way you say real heroin sounds like you can get an alternative a lot easier, if so what? I remember on the dark web most vendors refused to ship to Australia cause of customs

[@letsgochamp2023]

@@JoumSutin I'm sure it'll be Fentanyl. I'm not a user, but it sounds like heroin markets everywhere have been infested with the stuff.

[@PollPerson]

@@JoumSutin Customs is really strict in Aus and given that it's a huge island there's no land borders to smuggle over, so yes any drug is difficult to obtain there and extremely expensive if you can find it. This is also why most vendors refuse to ship there. They may have alternatives like fentanyl but this tends to be much more dangerous and lower quality, however this has only recently arrived in Australia aside from in prescriptions.

[@funnyman9616]

What you got to ask yourself is who does all the money from parking fines and all the other fines that the people pay go too The money actually goes to the Elizabeth Windsor and some goes to the crowns treasurer and some goes to the police parties at the end of they year

[@andystm]

For real??

[@funnyman9616]

@@andystm it even says that on google just type in “who does all the tax money go to” it’s mad that people still have to believe another man or woman in this free world

[@yetidodger6650]

how does 100kg equate to 100 million dollars?

[@gazza7087]

Why wouldn’t you salvage it for scrap?

[@thedawg2023]

Fun fact: that heroin is branded "Double Lion" it is some of, if not, the purest heroin you will find in the world. Goes for about $500 USD per gram in Australia today in 2022, and is typically over 80% in purity. It is manufactured in Southeast Asia A.K.A "The Golden Triangle". Source: research a lot of drugs and have used heroin from Mexico, Afghanistan, UK, and Vietnam.

[@Burnthealphabetpeople]

Wtf how do people have addictions in Australia shot is to expensive I pay 50 a gram for legit uncut dope 80 for uncut coke

[@jaobyeden4143]

​@@Burnthealphabetpeople meth is 800 a gram in australia

[@Burnthealphabetpeople]

@@jaobyeden4143 not a meth user but I could get a gram for the same amount I get my fentanyl free heroin for 50 with fetty it’s a little more cheap

[@jaobyeden4143]

@@Burnthealphabetpeople in the states? Here heroin is basically non existent its only fentanyl in Missouri and most other places. Cocaine is available sometimes. Meth is omnipresent and dirt cheap

[@andrewpaul3130]

Strange that these DPRK buggers were recorded to be conversing, in mandarin and in the minan dialect spoken in ROC Taiwan and the Fujian province in the PRC, with no typical korean accent. Their names in Han Yu Pin Yin are spelled in Cantonese style, and the others South East Asian Chinese style probably malaysian chinese.

[@MrPaxio]

ouch, those smart bombs prob cost more than the heroin

[@AbbeyWare-qy1ke]

Loved the Pong Su podcast

[@dmitryikhlynin3847]

Doesn't blowing up the ship on the water pollute the ocean?

[@eXpressYourselfClips]

Nope but throwing your cigarette in will

[@bj6469]

He said they cleaned it from top to bottom, towed it out and then blew it up.

[@dmitryikhlynin3847]

@@bj6469 Yea but what happened to the debris? Did they just let it sink into the ocean? Doesn’t the rust pollute it? Cause harm to the sea life?

[@bj6469]

@@dmitryikhlynin3847 As far as I’ve read and understand they are a big benefactor to the environment. Ocean life flock to it and inhabit it in no time as it creates a perfect outpost for them. I have no idea about the effects of rust and paint etc but if it’s cleaned out it seems to be more positive than negative.

[@gravitywaves2796]

Actually pretty much the opposite is true. Basically as long as there is no fuel or chemicals left onboard it tends to be very beneficial for ocean life. Corals cling to it and whole little ecosystems develop around such shipwrecks.

[@johnlocke9383]

Were they given the option to defect? Considering the amount of freedom they were operating with, I'd bet they might have some valuable information.

[@gracieamazing2076]

Drug traffickers?

[@johnlocke9383]

@@gracieamazing2076 Subjects of North Korea*. I must respect their loyalty. No matter how misplaced it may be.

[@perdbeer6713]

I highly recommend the podcast.

[@richier5746]

Its very good indeed

[@SpikeGoBrazy]

I looked at the waves and said somebody’s gonna die tonight

[@dimasakbar7668]

Personally it will not surprise me if DPRK become world most prolific crypto miner armed with only some peasants, pickaxe, and headlamps.

[@eugeniocalucci3825]

Sure-sure, armed with pickaxes! Most of your "Made-in-China" electronics are made in N.Korea - just letting you know cause you seem quite ignorant of what N.Korean missiles and nukes mean!

[@mic9check]

@@eugeniocalucci3825 N.Korean missiles and nukes are like pepper and salt on the sausage - they should be considered, but they are not significant.

[@bannedone3ice138]

@@mic9check 😂😂😂 Really.

[@plasmicats2000]

@Black Lesbian Poet based

[@plasmicats2000]

@Black Lesbian Poet wtf is ur crackpot channel.. God help u

[@avus-kw2f213]

Selling drugs to your enemies is the ultimate method of attack 1 : you make heaps of money 2 : inflicts extreme damage on your enemy 3 : no one really cares that much

[@Theinhen]

That's a good strategy 👏 And besides, If you're not the one gaining from this huge deal/contract, Some other countries like Laos, Myanmar or Vietnam will make this long run deal 😉 That's pretty much of the Talibans were funding their resistance in Afghanistan against the USA Gotta love the war on drugs 😜

[@tankman66]

Why did you change the thumbnail

[@kevinnix5495]

Why are all their faces being pulled to one side 😂