A new documentary co-produced by SVT's Documents from the North shows for the first time North Korea's secret arms deals on film.

Thanks to a mole that has crept in among the dictatorship's representatives, several meetings about illicit exports have been documented - both with an open camera and with a hidden one.  

The mole is called Ulrich Larsen.

It all started when he became a member of the Danish North Korean Friendship Association almost eleven years ago.  

Gained confidence quickly 

The motivation was initially to try to understand why the other members thought the dictatorship was so fantastic.

He had a great interest in the country long before.

- In the beginning, it was about coming to North Korea and filming the Danes who went there.

But it has already been done.

So I met Alejandro (chairman of the international friendship association, KFA, editor's note) there and we carefully established contact, he says in an interview with NRK.  

Since Larsen has retired prematurely due to an injury, he has been able to spend a large part of his time pretending to be a supporter of the regime - and he has quickly won the trust of key people.   

“Has been completely crazy” 

The relationship with the Spaniard Alejandro Cao de Benós led to him becoming the leader of a Scandinavian KFA branch.

Following an encouragement to find investors, Larsen has, among other things, assisted a fake businessman during a meeting on the arms trade in Pyongyang and received drawings for an underground weapons factory that was to be built on a private island in Uganda.   

What North Korea does not know is that everything has been recorded in order to reveal how the dictatorship circumvents international sanctions.  

- Going through what I have experienced has been completely crazy.

Had we had the money they have asked for, I would practically have been able to mediate an attack on Western interests, on enemies of North Korea, so that they could get money in their treasury.  

Forced to lie to his family 

For several years he has also been forced to lie to his wife.  

- She thought I was an idiot.

But she also understands that I did as I did.

It was to protect her and our children.  

The time as a mole is now over and although Ulrich Larsen admits that his everyday life will be a little less exciting, it is for the most part a relief.  

- It's nice to be able to tell the family what I have done and not what they think I have done.

Now I can tell the truth.  

Hear Ulrich Larsen tell more in the clip above