The Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday released the following report in this regard:

Yoshiaki Sawada, former department director of the Enterprise Co., Ltd, of Japan, who had been held in custody in the DPRK since October 2003 for attempting to smuggle drug in violation of the law of the DPRK and international law, left here on Tuesday thanks to a humanitarian measure taken by an institution concerned of the DPRK.

The results of the investigation conducted by the institution clearly proved the truth behind a despicable plot hatched by a Japanese-plot breeding organization to charge the ship Mangyongbong-92 with "drug trafficking" by using the above-said man and seriously damage the prestige of the DPRK and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, taking advantage of this case.

The suspected man frankly admitted his crime and relations with those forces behind the operation and made a sincere apology for his wrongdoing.

The above-said institution of the DPRK treated him in a humanitarian manner and leniently dealt with his case, taking his wish to go back home and health condition and so on into consideration.