SEOUL, July 4: An Afghan man believed to be a Taliban operative was arrested by South Korean police for allegedly attempting to smuggle tons of a chemical that can be used to make heroin or explosives to his homeland.

The suspect, identified only as Khal, 47, and an Indian accomplice were arrested on Wednesday at a chemical factory south of Seoul on charges of attempting to smuggle 12 tons of acetic anhydride to Afghanistan via Iran, police said in a statement on Friday.

“We believe that the terrorist organisation in Afghanistan tried to use our nation’s drug-free status for their smuggling attempt aimed at securing funds for terrorism,” the statement said.—ap