suspect, and one witness has since gone into hiding after charges were filed accusing them of fabricating the story for money. These witnesses claimed that the factory where the notes are printed is located in the city of Pyongsong and is part of Room 39. One defector had taken the notes to experts in the South Korean intelligence agency, who did not believe that they were fakes. The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed a North Korean chemist who described the operation; insisting on anonymity, he spoke about the technical details of the process as well as the distribution method, which he said was through North Korean diplomats and international crime syndicates. The U.S. government has theorized that the bills were spread in two ways: North Korean diplomats almost always travel through Moscow on their way to other destinations. At the Embassy of North Korea in Moscow, they receive dollars for their expenses. According to the claims of one defector, forgeries are intermingled with real dollars in about a 1 to 1 ratio. He said that most of the diplomats themselves do not know that they are being given counterfeits, and claimed that it is possible to purchase a $100 bill for US$50–70 directly from North Korean agents, and sometimes as low as $10–20 in bulk purchases. The alleged chief of staff of the Official Irish Republican Army, Seán Garland, was followed and seen traveling to Moscow and visiting the North Korean embassy along with some ex-KGB officers. Allegedly, Garland would then, with the help of some associate couriers, move this money to the Irish capital of Dublin and to Birmingham, England, where the notes would be exchanged for pounds or authentic dollars. His alleged scheme, involving several international crime syndicates and transactions worth millions of dollars, was uncovered after a tip-off. Garland was arrested in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but fled south to the Republic of Ireland after being released for medical leave. On 21 December 2011, the Irish High Court dismissed the US application for Garland's extradition, as the alleged offence took place in Ireland and was therefore not subject to extradition. The case was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider prosecution in Ireland. Since 2004, the United States has frequently called for pressure against North Korea in an attempt to end the alleged distribution of supernotes. It has investigated the Bank of China, Banco Delta Asia, and