‘Daechidong Drug Drink’ Mastermind Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison by Supreme Court

15 Years Imprisonment in First Trial... Increased to 18 Years in Second Trial
Supreme Court Rejects Appeal... Confirms Heavy Sentence from Appellate Court

Last year, a heavy sentence was confirmed for a group that manufactured and supplied so-called 'drug beverages' in the academy district of Daechi-dong, Gangnam, Seoul.

According to the legal community on the 6th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Shin Sook-hee) finalized on the 1st of last month the original sentence of 18 years imprisonment for Gil Mo (27), who was prosecuted for violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances) and other charges related to manufacturing and supplying drug beverages.

Kim Mo (40), who managed the voice phishing phone relay devices, and Park Mo (37), who supplied the drugs, were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each, and Lee Mo (42), who recruited for voice phishing, was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. Gil was prosecuted for mixing 10 grams of methamphetamine obtained from Park, using the so-called 'throwing method' where drugs are left at an agreed location, with milk to directly manufacture drug beverages, and distributing them to an unspecified number of students in April last year.

Seized drug drinks and questionnaires at the interim investigation briefing on the Gangnam academy district drug drink case held by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on April 17 last year. [Image source = Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]

Four part-time workers hired by Gil held a tasting event for concentration-enhancing beverages in the Daechi-dong academy district, and it was investigated that they actually handed the beverages to 13 students.

Nine of the students who received the beverages drank them, and six of them reportedly experienced hallucinations and other symptoms. They committed the crime with the intention of extorting money from the parents of the students who drank the drug beverages by calling them, but the parents reported to the police, so no money was actually extorted. In addition, they were also prosecuted for separate charges including fraud, attempted extortion, and violations of the Road Traffic Act, all of which were recognized as guilty in court.

Lee Mo (27), the main culprit who directed the crime from China, was separately prosecuted and sentenced to 23 years imprisonment in the first trial on July, and is currently undergoing an appeal trial.