Customs Officer Involvement Alleged as Typical Drug Cartel Tactic
"Yeongdeungpo Police Station Requests Refraining from Mention Before Fact-Checking"
The Korea Customs Service denied allegations raised by the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station that it exerted external pressure on the drug investigation case at Incheon Airport Customs.
On the 7th, the Korea Customs Service stated in a press release that it neither pressured nor covered up the drug investigation case at Incheon Airport Customs.
Earlier, in January last year, the Yeongdeungpo Police investigation team apprehended members of a Malaysian drug organization and detected signs of collusion involving Incheon Airport Customs employees. At that time, Baek Haeryong, then a detective superintendent of the Yeongdeungpo Police Station’s Criminal Division, revealed that he received external pressure from Cho Byeongno, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Community Safety Department, to "remove any mention of the Customs Service from the press release." During this process, suspicions also arose that the Yongsan Presidential Office and the Customs Service exerted pressure.
Detective Superintendent Baek claimed that Incheon Airport Customs employees visited him just before the case briefing in October last year and requested a postponement of the briefing.
The Korea Customs Service acknowledged the visit to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station at that time but denied any external pressure. In its statement, the Customs Service said, "In October last year, Incheon Airport Customs made an institutional request to exercise caution regarding media reports on unconfirmed matters," adding, "This falls within the normal scope of official duties."
The Customs Service also argued that the testimony from the drug couriers claiming that customs officers assisted them was not substantiated. The Customs Service explained, "Among the employees identified by the drug couriers as having 'guided them to the taxi stand outside the airport,' one employee (A) was on leave that day and did not work, and another employee (B) had no access records for the relevant route during the incident time." They maintain that the statements alleging assistance from customs officers are typical false testimonies.
Furthermore, the Customs Service stated, "We have never requested cooperation from the Yongsan Presidential Office regarding this case, nor have we received any instructions." Detective Superintendent Baek claimed that Kim Chansu, then chief of the Yeongdeungpo Police Station, told him that the Yongsan Presidential Office was taking the case seriously.
Meanwhile, on October 10 last year, the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station filed charges against 26 individuals?including members and minor participants of three criminal organizations composed of Koreans, Malaysians, and Chinese?on suspicion of organizing criminal groups and violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for attempting to distribute 74 kg of methamphetamine smuggled into the country (market value 220 billion KRW). The following day, on October 11, allegations of involvement by Incheon Airport Customs employees were also raised. The drug organization members are accused of assisting in entering the country on January 27 without passing through airport security checkpoints.
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