[Exclusive] Drug Dealers Arrested Drop from 951 to Around 300 in 3 Years... Police in Dilemma

Only 164 Sales Agents Arrested in First Half of This Year
Dark Web, Telegram, and Throwing Methods Are Sophisticated, "Arrests Are Difficult"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Amid the continuous drug-related incidents in Seoul, including drug-related deaths in Gangnam, the number of drug dealers arrested in the first half of this year remained in the 100s. If arrests continue at the same level in the second half, the total for the year is expected to be in the 300s, the lowest in the past five years.

During the COVID-19 Period, Drug Dealer Arrests Decreased Annually

According to the ‘Seoul Area Drug Dealer and User Arrest Statistics’ submitted by the National Police Agency and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to Assemblywoman Jo Sujin of the People Power Party on the 26th, the number of drug dealer arrests has decreased from 951 in 2019 to 668 in 2020 and 420 in 2021. In the first half of this year (January to June), the number was 164, less than half of the previous year. In contrast, drug user arrests increased from 1,335 in 2019 to 2,082 in 2021, with 1,151 recorded in the first half of this year.

In reality, even when police arrest drug users, it is rare to arrest dealers simultaneously. This is because transactions are conducted with unidentified dealers through the dark web, Telegram, and other platforms. Police officers in frontline stations in Seoul stated, "Previously, we managed specific suppliers or groups, but now it is difficult to identify the sellers themselves," adding, "It is hard to trace purchases made via Telegram or the ‘throwing’ method." The ‘throwing’ method involves hiding drugs in secluded places and having buyers retrieve them directly. In most cases, neither the buyer nor the seller knows each other.

Transactions Using Virtual Currency and the ‘Throwing’ Method... Deepening 'Digital and Contactless Trade'

The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul is investigating a case related to the deaths of a female employee and a male customer at a nightlife venue. The National Forensic Service recently confirmed that 64g of suspected drugs found in the male customer’s car was methamphetamine (Philopon). The police are investigating the possibility of a middleman.

The Violent Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency arrested 67 suspects on the 21st who cultivated marijuana in downtown Seoul shops and abandoned factories in Gyeonggi Province and distributed it through dark web sites. Jeong Gyeongdong, head of the drug crime investigation unit who led the investigation, said, "They used virtual currency available on the market and conducted transactions by passing it around two or three times, making it very difficult to identify the parties involved."

Increase in Young Drug Offenders and Housewives Using Drugs... Need for Legal Institutionalization of Undercover Investigations

Among the 5,988 drug offenders arrested nationwide in the first half of the year, including Seoul, more than half (58%, 3,499 people) were aged 30 or younger. This group included 194 students and 85 housewives. The police analyze that recent drug cases show characteristics such as ▲increase in first-time offenders ▲younger age groups ▲spread of online transactions. Experts call for expanding the scope of investigations through the legal institutionalization of ‘undercover investigations.’

Professor Lee Woonghyuk of Konkuk University’s Department of Police Science said, "The dark web erases records simultaneously with transactions, and virtual currency is also impossible to trace," adding, "We need to establish a legal framework allowing undercover investigations, such as special provisions permitting undercover operations in drug crimes."

Currently, undercover investigations in drug crimes are not legally institutionalized, so existing precedents must be referenced. Frontline police conduct opportunity-providing investigations based on precedents, but even these are limited due to insufficient undercover investigation budgets. For digital sex crimes against children and adolescents, police are allowed to conceal or disguise their identities for evidence collection and suspect apprehension when necessary.

Professor Kim Dowoo of Gyeongnam University’s Department of Police Science said, "The status of being a drug-free country has been lost for several years, and first-time offenders are increasing," adding, "As the supply routes of sellers diversify, the number of targets to monitor has doubled, but investigative manpower is limited." He emphasized, "Because drug crimes are highly addictive and repetitive, it is important to prevent repeated offenses," and added, "Short-term treatment and rehabilitation programs should be combined."

Meanwhile, the police plan to conduct special crackdowns until October, responding to the increase in drug-related transactions online and elsewhere. Kim Kwangho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "We will deploy dark web experts to intensively crack down on drug transactions on social networking services (SNS)."