The “loyal agent of North Korea” was charged with trying to sell missile parts on the black market in Sydney to raise money for the country.

But officers accidentally streamed a discussion about the sting on Periscope and linked to it on Twitter, The West Australian reports.

The newspaper said it listened to the conversation and that while the tweet was deleted the broadcast remained live until the publication informed federal authorities.

“Steps have been taken to ensure such incidents will not occur again,” federal police said in a statement.

“The matter has been referred to the AFP’s security area for review.”

The 59-year-old suspect, Chan Han Choi, was “like nothing we have ever seen on Australian soil” they added.