Overview

• Japanese police raided a car dealership suspected of trying to smuggle a Lexus into North Korea, a violation of international sanctions that ban importing luxury cars into the country.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been spotted in luxury vehicles such as a Lexus and a Maybach, despite the sanctions.
• Experts suggest that the smuggling of luxury goods into North Korea, including cars and ivory, exposes the porous nature of the UN sanctions regime.
• Kim's fondness for luxury goods is seen as a status symbol and a way to reward loyalty among his officials.
• Despite these violations, experts argue that world intelligence agencies have more pressing issues than halting luxury cars from being delivered to Pyongyang.