Prosecutors Declare War on 'Drugs and Organized Crime'... Strict Response to Violent Crimes

Decline in Drug Crime Investigation Capability After Investigation Authority Adjustment... Criminal Punishments Decrease by 70% Compared to 2017
Police and Investigation Forces Unite... Strict Crackdown on 173 Organized Crime Gangs Nationwide

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] The prosecution has declared a war against the spreading crimes of 'drugs and organized violence.' They plan to strengthen investigative capabilities to strictly punish drug and organized crimes and restore the status of a ‘drug-free nation.’

After the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, the prosecution’s direct investigation targets have been reduced, limiting their scope to ‘crimes involving the import/export or possession/ownership for the purpose of import/export of narcotics.’ This has led to a weakening of investigative power against drug crimes, resulting in approximately an 11% decrease in the number of drug crime arrests compared to before the adjustment.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Justice revised the ‘Regulations on the Scope of Crimes for Prosecutors’ Investigation Initiation’ to classify drug crimes as ‘economic crimes’ subject to direct prosecution and decided to investigate crimes related to drug distribution.

On the 16th, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office held a meeting of chief prosecutors from six major prosecution offices nationwide with violent crime divisions handling drug and organized crimes (Seoul Central, Incheon, Suwon, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju). They agreed to ▲build databases on organized crime groups and drug smuggling organizations and strengthen international cooperation systems ▲establish investigative consultative bodies with related agencies such as the National Police Agency, Customs Service, Coast Guard, and National Intelligence Service ▲set up a dedicated prosecutor responsibility system ▲strengthen punishments and confiscate criminal proceeds to strictly respond to drug and organized crimes.

The prosecution views organized crime as expanding beyond violent crimes to include drug smuggling and distribution, illegal gambling site operations, voice phishing, and other criminal acts causing serious harm to public welfare, with organized crime groups acting behind these activities.

Recently, group violence incidents such as public brawls, extortion, and interference in interests among organized crime groups have become frequent, causing public anxiety due to violence against innocent citizens and police officers, including knife attacks.

Nevertheless, the number of criminal punishments for organized crime offenders decreased by 70.5% compared to 2017. The number of criminally punished organized crime offenders was 2,293 in 2017, 1,813 in 2018, 1,135 in 2019, 844 in 2020, and 676 in 2021. Although the damage amount from voice phishing crimes has increased annually, the number of criminal punishments has actually decreased.

Moreover, drug crimes are rapidly increasing with even teenagers using drugs. Last year, the prosecution seized 1,296 kg of drugs, worth approximately 1.8401 trillion KRW. In the first half of this year, the number of drug offenders was 8,575, a 13.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

Considering the ‘dark figure’ of unreported cases and recidivism rates, the prosecution estimates that the number of drug offenders in the first half of this year is 80,000, with 50,000 new users in the drug market.

Drugs are preferred to be traded non-face-to-face to reduce detection risk, and recently, easy access through online platforms such as Telegram and the dark web has expanded the user base to teenagers, people in their 20s and 30s, ordinary housewives, and even public officials. Notably, the number of teenage offenders surged elevenfold from 41 in 2011 to 450 last year, and those in their teens and twenties accounted for 35% of drug offenders in the first half of this year, indicating a serious spread of drugs.

Accordingly, the prosecution decided to consolidate investigative capabilities by continuously monitoring crime information on 173 organized crime factions nationwide as of last year and sharing it with related agencies such as the police. They plan to establish investigative consultative bodies with regional police agencies across the country to jointly respond to organized crimes such as organized violence.

Furthermore, dedicated prosecutors will exclusively handle various warrants and transfer cases related to organized crime, including group violence incidents by organized crime groups, large-scale voice phishing, and illegal gambling site operations backed by criminal organizations.

Regarding drug crimes, the prosecution plans to solidify information on major drug source countries and complete the establishment of a database (DB) on major global drug source countries by next year. Currently, the prosecution is strengthening international cooperation by establishing cooperative systems with over 30 countries worldwide, including the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), dispatching investigators, exchanging investigative information, and conducting local arrests and extraditions.

A prosecution official stated, "We will do our utmost to strengthen and consolidate accumulated investigative capabilities to protect the community from drug and organized crimes and restore the status of a ‘drug-free nation’ so that citizens can safely live their daily lives."