The US arrested an American woman and a Ukrainian on charges of circumventing sanctions against North Korea.

Illustrative photo from public sources

American prosecutors announced the arrest of an American woman and a Ukrainian citizen who allegedly helped IT specialists with ties to North Korea but posing as Americans get remote jobs at hundreds of American companies.

The US Department of Justice said the complex scheme involved infiltrating more than 300 US firms, including Fortune 500 companies, and stealing the identities of more than 60 Americans.

The scheme was aimed at generating revenue for North Korea in circumventing international sanctions.

The Justice Department report said that foreign IT specialists also tried to gain employment and access to information in two US government departments, although these efforts were “generally unsuccessful,” Reuters reports.

The State Department previously said the scheme netted North Korea at least $6.8 million.

The report said the North Korean citizens involved were linked to the department's arms industry. The agency oversees Pyongyang's ballistic missile and other weapons programs, as well as research and development.

The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington last week and unclassified on Thursday, states that charges were brought against Christina Marie Chapman, who lives in Litchfield Park (Arizona), and Kiev resident Alexander Didenko, as well as three other foreign citizens.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga