"Customs Service Strengthens Drug Smuggling Crackdown at Regional Airports to Block Diversion Attempts"

"The most effective way to combat drugs is to block them at the border stage. The Korea Customs Service must play a frontline role in the war against drugs," emphasized Lee Myung-gu, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, while inspecting the drug smuggling crackdown site at Daegu International Airport on the 24th.

Lee Myung-gu, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, is presiding over the "3rd Special Task Force Meeting on Drug Smuggling Countermeasures" on the 24th. Photo by Korea Customs Service

On the 25th, the Korea Customs Service announced that the day before, Deputy Commissioner Lee presided over the '2024 3rd Special Task Force Meeting on Drug Smuggling Countermeasures' held at Daegu International Airport.

The meeting was organized to review trends in drug smuggling crackdowns and the status of international cooperation, and to discuss countermeasures against traveler drug smuggling at regional international airports such as Daegu, Gimhae, and Cheongju.

Regional international airports have recently been identified as new detour routes due to strengthened drug smuggling crackdowns at Incheon Airport (balloon effect). Accordingly, the Korea Customs Service plans to establish a drug smuggling crackdown network to fundamentally block attempts to smuggle drugs through regional international airports.

At the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Lee reaffirmed the existing policy to expand advanced inspection equipment, including deploying millimeter-wave body scanners, currently installed only at Incheon Airport Customs, to regional airport customs offices within this year, and additionally introducing thermal imaging cameras next year.

They also discussed measures to strengthen inspections targeting travelers, such as expanding comprehensive inspections of flights originating from drug-prone countries, conducting opening and destruction inspections of suspected drug items, and increasing body and cabin baggage inspections.

In the mid-to-long term, the meeting addressed plans to increase personnel necessary for traveler drug crackdowns and operation of advanced inspection equipment, as well as elevating the consultative body between Incheon Airport Customs and regional airport customs to the agency head level to block the increase of drug smuggling through regional international airports.

After the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Lee personally inspected the traveler inspection and high-risk traveler analysis system at Daegu International Airport’s drug crackdown site.

Deputy Commissioner Lee stated, "With vigilance that drug smuggling can occur at all airports nationwide, including Incheon Airport, we will tighten the inspection network. The Korea Customs Service will ensure that all staff do their utmost in inspections and crackdowns at every moment so that drug importation can be fundamentally blocked at the border stage."