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The mastermind and his associates, who operated a drug sales channel on the messenger app Telegram and sold drugs smuggled from overseas in South Korea, were arrested by the police.

Smuggled Drugs Sold Domestically via Telegram Using the 'Throwing' Method

Seized proceeds from drug trafficking organized crime.
[Photo by Ulsan Police Agency]

On the 2nd, the Ulsan Police Agency Cyber Crime Investigation Unit announced that they had detected signs of drug sales on Telegram in April and launched an investigation. They arrested a total of 34 people, including 19 members of a sales organization that imported and sold drugs from overseas via Telegram from June 2020 to recently, and detained 20 of them.

According to the police, over the past three years, the group operated five drug sales advertising channels on Telegram, boasting about 3,000 members. They recruited buyers on social networking services (SNS) such as X (Twitter) using slang terms referring to marijuana or synthetic marijuana.

The organization smuggled drugs into the country by concealing them in cosmetics or cup noodles ordered from Vietnam and other countries. For domestic buyers, they delivered the drugs using the 'throwing' method by placing them in electrical boxes around residential areas nationwide. The police estimated that the group earned approximately 1.4 billion KRW from drug sales.

Additionally, the group advertised to Telegram channel members with messages like "large company welfare, guaranteed high income" and hired those who contacted them as drug couriers. Many of the couriers were university students or young adults just starting their careers. Among them was one high school student. It was found that they received at least 3 million KRW per month in cryptocurrency.

The police explained, "They initially purchased drugs after seeing the advertisement posts, then joined as couriers after hearing that they could easily make money."

Also Played Role as a 'Money Laundering Organization'... Lived Luxuriously with Crime Proceeds

It was also revealed that the group took charge of so-called 'money laundering' for several sales organizations operating on Telegram.

This involved converting cash sent by drug buyers via wire transfer to so-called 'dapo accounts' into cryptocurrency by this group, then passing it to drug dealers, who would convert it back into cash. The group earned a 10% commission fee during this process. It is estimated that they made about 1.7 billion KRW from money laundering fees.

The mastermind, Mr. A (22), who was a student studying in the U.S., purchased cafes and officetels in a famous cafe street in Seoul with the money earned from drug sales and money laundering. He also drove a foreign sports car and reportedly spent 25 million KRW per day on entertainment expenses, living a luxurious lifestyle.

The police confiscated or seized a total of 3.1 billion KRW in criminal proceeds and seized cash and precious metals worth approximately 86 million KRW.

They also recovered all drugs hidden using the 'throwing' method at 79 locations nationwide, including one-room apartments, and seized drugs worth about 200 million KRW stored in the officetel where Mr. A and others resided in Seoul.

The Ulsan Police Agency stated, "Drug organizations and distribution are happening too easily. We are striving to investigate according to new trends," and added, "We will strengthen online drug crackdowns in the second half of the year and expand operations to eradicate drug crimes that have penetrated daily life."