A UN official says the once prominent flow of illegal drugs out of North Korea has been, for the most part, curtailed since 2002.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, recently told an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News Agency that there is no evidence suggesting the North has been involved in any illegal drug deals over the last few years.

North Korea had been suspected of state-sponsored drug smuggling across international borders during the 1980s and 90s.

Costa’s statement is the first time a senior UN official has confirmed the North’s suspension of drug smuggling.