World News: British American Tobacco to pay US $635 million for North Korea sanctions breaches

British American Tobacco is to pay US $635 million plus interest to US authorities after a subsidiary admitted selling cigarettes to North Korea in violation of sanctions.

The BBC reports the US authorities said the settlement related to BAT activity in North Korea between 2007 and 2017.

BAT's head Jack Bowles said they deeply regret the misconduct.

The US has imposed severe sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

BAT is one of the world's largest tobacco multinationals and one of the UK's 10 biggest companies. It owns major cigarette brands including Lucky Strike, Dunhill and Pall Mall.

In a statement, BAT said it had entered into a "deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ and a civil settlement agreement with OFAC, and an indirect BAT subsidiary in Singapore has entered into a plea agreement with DOJ".

[Source: BBC]