Military Authorities "Likely Brought Liquid Marijuana In During Leave"
There has been shock as soldiers were caught bringing in and smoking marijuana in military bases, including a soldier who was found smoking liquid marijuana in the form of an electronic cigarette within the unit.
According to the Army on the 27th, last December, a soldier A, who was a corporal at the time, was caught bringing liquid marijuana into the unit and smoking it. Soldier A was prosecuted the day before after a military police investigation.
Soldier A's crime was uncovered through reports from fellow soldiers who found his behavior suspicious. Soldier A always went alone when going out to smoke cigarettes, and after smoking, he was reported to suddenly speak unclearly or behave unnaturally.
Military investigators determined that Soldier A brought in liquid marijuana in the form of an electronic cigarette after returning from a weekend leave. While electronic cigarettes themselves are not prohibited items within the base, he exploited the fact that the appearance of liquid marijuana is similar to that of regular electronic cigarette liquid containers to smuggle it in.
The military prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Soldier A, considering that detention was necessary, but the military court dismissed it, citing no risk of evidence tampering or flight. The Army also stated that, so far, no additional personnel involved in drug crimes within the unit have been identified.
The military prosecution indicted Soldier A without detention on charges including violation of the Narcotics Control Act before and after enlistment. Soldier A, who is scheduled to be discharged next month, will face trial in a civilian court.
Meanwhile, in April, six soldiers at an Army unit located in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, were caught bringing in marijuana through parcel delivery, smoking, or possessing it, causing shock. They secretly smoked marijuana in places like the shower room during early morning hours or sold it to other soldiers.
In response, the Ministry of National Defense recently decided to expand drug testing to all soldiers to prevent the inflow of drugs, which has emerged as a serious social issue, into military bases. On the 23rd, the Ministry announced plans to implement a "Military Narcotics Management Improvement Plan" containing these measures.
The plan announced by the military authorities focuses on blocking the inflow of drugs distributed in civilian society into military bases. First, the military will conduct thorough inspections of items brought into the base via parcels or packages and strengthen the management of medical narcotics within the military.
Additionally, efforts will be made to enhance the capabilities for crackdowns and investigations on drugs already infiltrated into military bases. The plan includes activating a public reward system for reporting narcotics and strengthening online monitoring.
The Ministry of National Defense also stated, "We will consider and promote including drug testing in the physical examination items for new recruits." Testing for all active-duty soldiers will also be pursued.
Currently, the military conducts drug tests only for those who declare a history of drug use during the enlistment physical examination or those whom military doctors deem necessary.
The Ministry explained, "We will first carefully review and establish legal grounds through amendments to relevant military service laws to avoid concerns about infringement of basic rights, and then proceed cautiously."
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