Prosecutors Crack Down on Record High 4,100 Drug Offenders in Q1, Including 86 Minors

34% Increase Compared to the Same Period Last Year

In the first quarter of this year, the number of drug offenders caught by the prosecution surged by 34% compared to the same period last year.

According to the Drug and Organized Crime Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-eok) on the 30th, the prosecution apprehended 4,124 drug offenders in the first quarter of this year. This represents a 34% increase from 3,080 offenders during the same period last year and is the highest number of drug offenders caught in the first quarter ever recorded. Compared to 1,958 offenders in the first quarter of 2013, the number has more than doubled, increasing by 2.1 times.

Seoul Seocho-dong, Supreme Prosecutors' Office building.
Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Comparing the first quarter crackdown results by drug type with the same period last year, the numbers increased across the board: marijuana from 703 to 760, narcotics from 251 to 258, and psychotropic drugs from 2,126 to 3,106. Notably, offenders of psychotropic drugs sharply rose from 69% to 75.3%.

There were 2,032 people caught for drug use, and 1,184 for smuggling and trafficking. Simple possession offenders also numbered 274.

Among the drug offenders registered with the prosecution, 74.9% were male and 25.1% female. The largest age groups were those in their 20s and 30s, followed by those in their 40s and 50s. Additionally, 82 minors aged 15 to 19 were caught, and 4 offenders under the age of 15 were identified. These minors mainly used psychotropic drugs such as Philopon and Ketamine, which have strong addictive and hallucinogenic effects.

The total amount of drugs seized by the prosecution was 297 kg. Compared to the same period last year, Philopon increased by 106%, marijuana by 152%, Ketamine by 431%, Yaba?which means "crazy drug" in Thai?by 773%, cocaine by 1,275%, and LSD, known as the "ultimate drug," surged by 10,578%.

By occupation, the unemployed accounted for the largest number at 1,236, followed by company employees at 250, laborers at 145, and students at 119. Medical professionals also numbered 50. By region, the Seoul metropolitan area including Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi accounted for more than half of the total arrests at 58.3% (2,403 people), followed by Busan with 267, Daejeon and Chungnam with 240, Daegu and Gyeongbuk with 233, and Ulsan and Gyeongnam with 224.

On the 23rd of this month, the prosecution established the Drug and Organized Crime Division within the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and appointed Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-eok, who previously served as head of the Violent Crimes Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, as its chief. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Drug and Organized Crime Division will now oversee nationwide investigations into drug and organized violent crimes, which were previously managed by the Anti-Corruption Division.