South Korean intelligence authorities believe a Chinese restaurant in Seoul’s central Songpa secretly served as an overseas police station for China, according to a lawmaker.

Speaking anonymously to The Korea Herald, the lawmaker said the National Intelligence Service believes the restaurant in Seoul “virtually functioned” as a secret police station for the Chinese government.

The NIS declined to comment on the lawmaker's statement.

After the restaurant was pegged as a clandestine base for the Chinese overseas police in December last year, its owner held a press conference and denied the allegations.

Since then, Seoul authorities have been investigating the allegations and whether the presence of foreign police would be a violation of the immigration laws here.

According to a report by the nongovernmental organization Safeguard Defenders based in Spain, China is allegedly running more than 100 police stations overseas with the aim of forcibly repatriating Chinese nationals.