High School Student Accused of Smuggling Club Drugs Worth 700 Million Won Faces Up to 6 Years in Prison

A high school student who attempted to smuggle ketamine worth 700 million won, known as the so-called 'club drug,' into South Korea has been sentenced to prison.

The Criminal Division 15 of the Incheon District Court (Presiding Judge Ryu Hojung) sentenced A (18), a third-year high school student, to 6 years in prison with a minimum of 4 years on the charge of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes related to psychotropic substances at the sentencing hearing held on the 12th.

The court stated, "Drug-related crimes have a significant impact on society due to their addictive nature, so strict measures are necessary," and added, "The amount of ketamine the defendant attempted to smuggle was also large."

It continued, "The defendant cannot be considered to have had a minor role in the crime, as he provided an address to an accomplice and agreed to receive a large sum of money," but also noted, "Considering that he admitted to all the crimes, showed remorse, and has no prior criminal record," explaining the sentencing rationale.

A was arrested and indicted for attempting to smuggle 2.9 kg of ketamine (worth approximately 740 million won) hidden inside a pancake cooking machine from Germany through Incheon International Airport as international cargo in May. He provided a Korean address to B (18), a middle school classmate who proposed the smuggling, to receive the drugs.

B, who was attending high school in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the time of the crime, had met accomplice C (31) through social networking services (SNS). B gave C's contact information and personal customs clearance code to the German drug dealer, enabling the ketamine to be sent to Korea. B returned to Korea with his parents during the July vacation and was arrested by prosecutors at Incheon Airport. He is currently undergoing a separate trial.