Seizure of 60kg of Cocaine, the Largest in South Korea
A gang that smuggled liquid drugs worth 180 billion won from overseas and processed them into solid form at a factory in Gangwon Province before distributing them was caught by the Coast Guard.
The Narcotics Investigation Unit of the Central Regional Coast Guard announced on the 19th that it had arrested three people, including Canadian drug syndicate member Mr. A (55) and domestic distributor Mr. B (27), on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.
Mr. A is suspected of smuggling 60 kg of liquid cocaine worth about 180 billion won into the country via a container ship from overseas. The seized cocaine is enough for 2 million people to use simultaneously, and the Coast Guard explained that it is the largest amount of cocaine ever seized while being distributed or stored domestically.
During the Coast Guard investigation, Mr. A said, "I heard that liquid cocaine mixed with a specific substance was brought in through a container ship in paint cans," but he did not provide specific details about the smuggling route.
Investigations revealed that the liquid cocaine secretly brought in by Mr. A was processed into solid form at a factory in Gangwon Province last April. The Coast Guard is pursuing two Colombian foreign syndicate members believed to have processed the cocaine. Mr. A is known as a high-ranking figure in the Canadian crime syndicate and has a history of being caught smuggling cocaine via ships in the United States and other countries.
Earlier this month, the Coast Guard received intelligence related to the Canadian drug syndicate from the National Intelligence Service and launched an investigation. On the 10th, the Coast Guard urgently arrested Mr. B, who was attempting to sell cocaine near Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, and subsequently apprehended Mr. A and others in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.
Additionally, a further search of Mr. A’s residence resulted in the seizure of all 60 kg of cocaine. The packaging of the cocaine was reportedly engraved with the English letters "UN," representing the drug syndicate in Vancouver, Canada.
So Byung-yong, head of the investigation division at the Central Regional Coast Guard, said, "This is the first case of cocaine being smuggled in, processed domestically, and distributed before being caught," adding, "We are investigating the connections between the Canadian drug syndicate and domestic organizations."
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