'Rhinitis Medication Turns into Drugs'... College Student Imprisoned for 7 Months After Receiving Package Instead of Delivery

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A university student who was detained in prison for seven months on drug charges after trying to receive pharmaceuticals sent from Korea in Australia at the request of an acquaintance has been awarded damages from the sender.

On the 21st, Kim Seong-su, Chief Judge of Civil Division 13 at Daegu District Court, announced that in the damages lawsuit filed by university student A against B, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, ordering B to pay over 48 million won in compensation.

In 2017, A met a fellow Korean, C, while on a working holiday in Australia, and they became friends. After returning to Korea first, C asked A the following year to receive a package sent from Korea to Australia. When A asked if the items were legal, C explained, "They are vitamin products approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety."

At C's request, A went to an Australian airport in January 2018 to receive the package but was detained by the local airport police on suspicion of attempting to import drugs.

The items A received were common medications used in Korea to treat rhinitis, but in Australia, they were strictly controlled substances because they contained narcotic ingredients. While these rhinitis treatments could be purchased at local pharmacies in Korea without a doctor's prescription, in Australia, they were classified as illegal drugs.

A claimed complete ignorance of the illegal nature of the drugs and expressed his grievance, but he was detained in a local prison under a detention warrant issued by a district court magistrate.

Subsequently, A sought assistance from the Australian embassy and appealed for resolution through a petition to the Blue House, eventually receiving a non-prosecution disposition after seven months of detention and returning home.

While preparing a damages lawsuit against C, A discovered that B was the person who had effectively orchestrated the shipment and filed a lawsuit against him.

Chief Judge Kim Seong-su stated, "It is clear that A suffered mental distress due to this incident, and the defendant must compensate a total of over 48 million won, including 30 million won in consolation damages."

Attorney Lee Ki-ho from the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, who represented the lawsuit, said, "Pharmaceutical regulations vary by country, so unexpected accidents can occur. It is advisable to refrain from receiving items on behalf of others if the contents cannot be confirmed, even if done in good faith."