Police probe strange incident at Madrid's North Korean embassy
Spain is probing an incident linked to the North Korean embassy in Madrid, the interior ministry and police said Wednesday, which Spanish media described as a break- in by people who stole computers.
"We are investigating," a ministry spokesman told AFP, saying the probe centred around "mild injuries to a North Korean citizen in the street."
A police source, who refused to be named, said the mysterious incident had taken place "near the embassy," describing the incident as "unusual."
Online news media El Confidencial reported that intruders made their way into the embassy on Friday, tying up and gagging employees for several hours before taking away computers.
El Confidencial - Asaltan la embajada de Corea del Norte en Madrid con rehenes y robo de ordenadores https://t.co/vsz3x7acqw
— NOTICIAS_ES (@FlipB_) February 27, 2019
It was reported that the alarm was raised when a woman ran from the building during Friday night and started shouting in Korean. A police patrol sent to the door.
But when the officer rang the doorbell, a man who was wearing a badge with the image of Kim Jong-un, said there was no problem inside and refused the police entry.
A few minutes later the patrol observed several people, including the man who had opened the door, run out of the door and jump into two luxury cars.
Ambulances were called and at least three embassy employees were treated for minor injuries.
Employees told police that the intruders had tied them up before taking computers and making their getaway.
It also reported that the mobile network antenna which serves the area of the embassy was set alight just prior to the robbery last Friday.
Spain intelligence services (CNI) are investigating whether it could be related to the attack.
The interior ministry spokesman confirmed that the North Korean embassy had not filed any official complaint.
The embassy, which was opened in 2013 in a quiet residential street in the north of Madrid and bears no flag, is not staffed by an ambassador since the last one was expelled in 2017 by the Spanish government in protest over Pyongyang's nuclear tests.
READ ALSO: Meet the Spaniard working as North Korea's secret weapon
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"We are investigating," a ministry spokesman told AFP, saying the probe centred around "mild injuries to a North Korean citizen in the street."
A police source, who refused to be named, said the mysterious incident had taken place "near the embassy," describing the incident as "unusual."
Online news media El Confidencial reported that intruders made their way into the embassy on Friday, tying up and gagging employees for several hours before taking away computers.
El Confidencial - Asaltan la embajada de Corea del Norte en Madrid con rehenes y robo de ordenadores https://t.co/vsz3x7acqw
— NOTICIAS_ES (@FlipB_) February 27, 2019
It was reported that the alarm was raised when a woman ran from the building during Friday night and started shouting in Korean. A police patrol sent to the door.
But when the officer rang the doorbell, a man who was wearing a badge with the image of Kim Jong-un, said there was no problem inside and refused the police entry.
A few minutes later the patrol observed several people, including the man who had opened the door, run out of the door and jump into two luxury cars.
Ambulances were called and at least three embassy employees were treated for minor injuries.
Employees told police that the intruders had tied them up before taking computers and making their getaway.
It also reported that the mobile network antenna which serves the area of the embassy was set alight just prior to the robbery last Friday.
Spain intelligence services (CNI) are investigating whether it could be related to the attack.
The interior ministry spokesman confirmed that the North Korean embassy had not filed any official complaint.
The embassy, which was opened in 2013 in a quiet residential street in the north of Madrid and bears no flag, is not staffed by an ambassador since the last one was expelled in 2017 by the Spanish government in protest over Pyongyang's nuclear tests.
READ ALSO: Meet the Spaniard working as North Korea's secret weapon
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