How Chinese companies act as shopping agencies to circumvent sanctions on North Korea
DANDONG, China _ Cai didn't know what he was bringing into North Korea, and he didn't dare ask.
Whenever the 49-year-old truck driver crossed the bridge into North Korea, the cargo was carefully wrapped so he couldn't see what was inside.
For all he knew, the packages contained agricultural tools, baby clothes, umbrellas, food, rice cookers or toaster ovens. Or they might have contained materials for making nuclear bombs.
His boss was a well-dressed, well-spoken woman, Ma Xiaohong, who he said "had a special connection with the Chinese government."
"I started to suspect she was doing illegal trading," said Cai, who asked to be quoted by only his surname because of the sensitivity of the situation. After six months driving in 2015, he quit.
His suspicions were confirmed when Ma and three associates were indicted in September in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., on charges
