North Korean authorities have arrested a group of former state cyber operators and IT specialists accused of hacking the internal networks of the Central Bank and the Foreign Trade Bank and laundering the stolen funds through cryptocurrency, according to a report by the Seoul‑based outlet Daily NK. The report, which cites an anonymous source in Pyongyang, says the individuals converted the stolen state funds into digital assets and used brokers based in China to move the cryptocurrency. Cointelegraph has not independently verified the claim. If confirmed, the arrests would mark a rare instance of North Korean cyber personnel being accused of targeting their own government's financial institutions. The regime is widely reported to direct state‑backed hacking groups to steal from crypto companies in order to generate revenue and circumvent international sanctions. Reporting from North Korea is difficult to verify due to the country's restrictions on access and information.