Thieves steal around 30 rechargeable batteries, sodium cyanide in South Pyongan Province
A source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Thursday that somebody recently stole car batteries from the Taedonggang Battery Factory in Pyongsong-dong, Pyongsong. “Some 30 rechargeable batteries made at the factory disappeared,” he said.
The source said the thieves used a metal bar to break the lock of the warehouse and made off with the goods. “The city branch of the Ministry of State Security is investigating, but they have yet to make any real progress,” he said.
The Taedonggang Battery Factory operates under the Ministry of Mining Industry. Because the state administers all the supplies and items at the factory, the thieves face serious punishment.
According to Article 89 of North Korea’s Administrative Penalties Law, people who steal the property of the state or of social cooperatives face up to three months in a labor camp. Thieves face even tougher punishments if they steal more than KPW 20,000 in property.
“Nowadays, the street urchins and porters who ran errands for merchants near the train station and general markets are just hanging around since they have no work,” said the source. “The Ministry of Social Security has fingered them as likely suspects and is keeping an eye on them.” ......
[Source: Daily NK]
