Police in Osaka, western Japan, have referred to prosecutors an 85-year-old former business owner for allegedly illegally exporting clothing to North Korea.

The police said the man, a resident of Sapporo City in Hokkaido Prefecture, northern Japan, is suspected of exporting about 200 pieces of clothing, including underwear, made by Japanese companies. He allegedly sent the clothing via international mail in December 2019 without government approval, in violation of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. The shipments were worth a total of about 400,000 yen, or around 2,800 dollars.

The suspect allegedly shipped the items at the request of an individual running a trade business in North Korea. They were sent to a collaborator in China, who is believed to have taken them into North Korea.

The police said that the funds used to purchase the clothing might have come from income earned by a North Korean IT worker who posed as residents of Osaka and received work from overseas clients.

The former business owner used to run a marine products company in North Korea. He reportedly admitted to the allegations during voluntary questioning. He allegedly said that he wanted to maintain ties with North Korea and has exported around 40 or 50 shipments, mainly clothing.

The police are investigating the flow of funds.