Tim McNulty
A shadowy North Korean dissident group has claimed responsibility for last month’s raid on the DPRK’s embassy in Madrid.
In a statement, Cheollima Civil Defence took credit but insisted the incident, which saw staff ‘tied up and gagged,’ was not an attack.
The declaration – entitled ‘Facts About Madrid’ – came just hours after Spain’s High Court named suspects in the investigation into the break-in.
The secretive opposition group said: “We responded to an urgent situation in the Madrid embassy. We were invited into the embassy, and contrary to reports, no one was gagged or beaten.
“Out of respect for the host nation of Spain, no weapons were used.”
On February 22 a ‘military cell’ entered the North Korean embassy in the north-west of Madrid, and attacked staff before escaping in stolen diplomatic cars.
The assailants are also alleged to have stolen mobile phones, computers and documents.
Yesterday a Spanish high court judge revealed the embassy intruders contacted the FBI five days after the assault and handed over ‘audiovisual material’.
The audacious attack took place days before US President Donald Trump was set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
But Cheollima Civil Defence has denied that any government had a hand in the raid.
They said: “There were no other governments involved with or aware of our activity until after the event.
“We recognise and apologise for any inconveniences caused to the authorities of Spain, who have been caught in the middle of a difficult situation.”
