‘Egyptian Refugee’ Arrested for Attempting to Smuggle Marijuana via International Student

A hair cream container hiding marijuana is covered by clothes inside a traveler's bag. Photo by Korea Customs Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] An Egyptian refugee attempting to smuggle marijuana into the country through travelers (international students) arriving from Egypt has been arrested.

According to the Korea Customs Service on the 25th, Incheon Customs detained Egyptian refugee Mr. A on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and sent him to the prosecution.

Mr. A entered South Korea in 2017 with a refugee visa to escape persecution by the military dictatorship regime in Egypt. However, it has been confirmed that his visa extension was denied, and he is currently an illegal immigrant.

Meanwhile, Mr. A attempted to smuggle marijuana through Mr. B, an international student from Egypt. Mr. B was caught trying to enter the country with marijuana hidden inside containers for diabetes medicine and hair cream at the request of Mr. A.

A customs drug detection dog showed abnormalities in Mr. B’s luggage, and after X-ray image analysis and a detailed inspection, 145g of marijuana was found inside the hair cream container.

Customs later caught Mr. B handing over the hair cream container concealing marijuana to Mr. A at a university in Mokpo, leading to Mr. A’s urgent arrest. The Korea Customs Service also explained that 27 marijuana seeds that were germinating at Mr. A’s residence were seized.

Investigations revealed that Mr. A recruited someone to bring his diabetes medicine from Egypt using a Korean Arab community social network, and Mr. C, unaware of Mr. A’s marijuana smuggling intentions, entered the country carrying the diabetes medicine and the hair cream container with marijuana.

An official from Incheon Customs Headquarters said, “We urge people to be cautious when bringing items on behalf of acquaintances when entering from overseas.”