Narcotics Smuggling and Distribution Rings Uncovered Across Five Continents Over One Year
U.S. Authorities and Customs Cooperation Lead to Arrests
Narcotics hidden in an apartment complex (Data provided by Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office)
Groups that smuggled narcotics into South Korea from regions such as Europe and Central and South America have been successively apprehended by prosecutors. Authorities discovered narcotics worth a total of 26 million won hidden in 87 locations, including apartment complexes in Seoul, Suwon, and Daejeon.
The Violent Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Boseong, announced on April 18 that, through a dedicated narcotics smuggling and distribution investigation team, it had conducted an intensive investigation for about one year starting from March of last year. As a result, prosecutors uncovered narcotics smuggling from five continents?Europe, North America, Central and South America, Oceania, and Asia?booking 32 individuals and formally arresting and indicting 26 of them.
Prosecutors stated that they seized methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, synthetic cannabis, LSD, and liquid cannabis from these individuals, with a total retail value of approximately 830 million won, thereby blocking their distribution within the country at the source.
In one case, a group that smuggled 1,003 ecstasy pills from the Netherlands was apprehended in its entirety?including the collector, ringleader, dropper (courier), and distributor?within about 24 hours of postal delivery. Prosecutors reported that they tracked down all involved by confirming meeting coordinates with accomplices from the collector's mobile phone and pursuing them accordingly.
A prosecution official explained, "We focused on the fact that narcotics smuggling and distribution organizations try to evade investigation by replacing only the first-level collectors for one-time use, so we immediately tracked the higher-ups in real time right after apprehending the collectors."
The arrest of a group of five attempting to smuggle 173 grams of methamphetamine from Mexico was made possible through intelligence from the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and cooperation with customs authorities. The ringleader, identified as Mr. B, who also handled overseas shipping, was extradited to South Korea from Trinidad and Tobago after being placed on an Interpol Red Notice and was subsequently detained.
In the case of liquid cannabis smuggled from Canada, customs authorities shared information with prosecutors about suspected narcotics imports, after which the normal customs clearance process was allowed to proceed in order to apprehend the domestic collector. Since delays in customs clearance often lead collectors to suspect investigations and abandon retrieval, authorities prioritized rapid clearance and then tracked down the collectors.
Additionally, individuals smuggling narcotics from Germany, Poland, Australia, and Malaysia were each apprehended and referred for trial. Prosecutors stated, "We will continue to work closely with relevant agencies and focus and develop specialized investigative capabilities in narcotics crimes to respond strictly and ensure a safe Korea free from drugs."
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