British American Tobacco accused of helping North Korea fund terrorism in lawsuit

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Sam Levine in New YorkJanuary 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Hundreds of US military service members, civilians, and their families have filed a lawsuit against British American Tobacco (BAT) and its subsidiary, alleging that the company secretly helped North Korea fund terrorism by manufacturing cigarettes in the country. In 2001, BAT formed a joint venture with a North Korean company to produce cigarettes, despite public warnings from the US government about North Korea's alleged funding of terrorism. The venture continued until 2023, generating around $418m in banking transactions used to advance North Korea's weapons program. BAT has since entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and paid $629m in fines for conspiring to violate sanctions and bank fraud. The lawsuit claims that BAT's clandestine scheme contributed to deadly terrorist attacks, and seeks compensation under a federal law allowing victims of terrorism to sue organizations aiding and abetting such acts.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Guardian 30% Jack Bowles 30% Matthew Olsen 40% US Justice Department ×260% United States ×270% British American Tobacco (BAT) ×790% North Korea ×790%

Keywords

north korea 100% terrorism funding 90% british american tobacco 90% lawsuit 80% sanctions violation 70% weapons program 60% joint venture 50% bank fraud 50% us military 40%