Coast Guard Agency Arrests 367 for Illegal Opium Poppy and Marijuana Cultivation... Seizures Up 76% Year-on-Year

The Korea Coast Guard announced on the 21st that it conducted a four-month intensive crackdown on illegal cultivation of poppy and hemp from April, apprehending a total of 367 individuals, including 17 for smuggling hemp and 350 for smuggling poppy.

This represents an 18% increase compared to the 311 people caught during the same period last year. The seized hemp amounted to 828 plants, and poppy to 29,824 plants, a 76% increase from the same period last year.

In notable cases, an elderly man in his 80s was caught secretly cultivating about 500 poppy plants in a garden near his residence in Buan, Jeonbuk, and a man in his 70s growing 17 hemp plants was apprehended by the Coast Guard in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk.

The Coast Guard is cracking down on illegally cultivated poppies at a private residence in Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk.
[Photo by Korea Coast Guard]

Most of those caught illegally cultivating poppy were found to have grown it for edible purposes such as leafy vegetables or for medicinal use. If caught cultivating hemp or poppy without the proper qualifications or permits to handle narcotics, they face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won according to relevant laws.

A Coast Guard official stated, "Hemp and poppy are classified as narcotics due to their strong addictive properties and the potential for serious side effects such as central nervous system paralysis," adding, "Under the strict policy against drug crimes, even cultivating a single poppy plant can lead to punishment if there is intent."