Told to Hide Meth but Not Paid? The Fate of a Man in His 30s Who Diverted Drugs

Court Orders Immediate Detention After Sentencing Defendant to 2 Years and 6 Months in Prison

A member of a drug distribution organization who hid methamphetamine under the direction of a supplier but diverted the drugs after not receiving payment has been sentenced to prison for managing and possessing methamphetamine.

According to Yonhap News Agency on September 23, Judge Hwang Haecheol of the Criminal Division 3 at the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court sentenced a man in his 30s, referred to as A, to two years and six months in prison for violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics (Psychotropic Substances). The court also ordered the confiscation of the seized narcotics and imposed a forfeiture of 8,323,000 won.

Chuncheon District Court building. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On April 28, A was accused of retrieving approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a mountain under the anonymous instructions of "B" and then hiding it again in another mountain. After failing to receive the promised payment of 5 million won from B, A was additionally charged with diverting 216.77 grams of the hidden methamphetamine and storing it in his motorcycle and residence.

It was revealed that after hiding the methamphetamine, A diverted the drugs he had concealed under B's instructions when he did not receive the approximately 5 million won he was supposed to be paid by B.

According to the indictment, prior to the incident, A had conspired with B to act as a "manager-level domestic courier" called a "drapper" within the drug distribution organization, agreeing to receive between 1.5 million and 5 million won per delivery depending on the amount of methamphetamine managed.

The role involved checking whether methamphetamine smuggled from overseas was properly stored in places such as building fire hydrant cabinets, electrical panels, or mountains, and then, to evade law enforcement, quickly retrieving the drugs and re-hiding them in mountains or other locations before reporting back to the supplier.

Ultimately, A stood trial and received a prison sentence for these crimes. Judge Hwang pointed out, "Narcotics are secretly brought into the country and traded, making detection difficult, and the distribution and use of narcotics cause numerous related crimes and significant harm to society as a whole."

Judge Hwang further stated, "The defendant played a key role in the drug distribution process by managing or possessing a large quantity of methamphetamine as a member of the drug organization. It appears that, in addition to the methamphetamine seized, the defendant was involved in distributing a substantial amount of narcotics, which warrants a corresponding punishment."

He explained the sentencing by saying, "The sentence was determined after considering various factors, including the fact that aside from a suspended indictment for violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics (Psychotropic Substances) in August last year, the defendant has no other criminal record." After the sentencing, A filed an appeal with the court.

Meanwhile, according to the "2024 White Paper on Narcotics Crimes" published by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in June, individuals in their 20s and 30s accounted for 60.8% (13,998 people) of all drug offenders last year. This figure represents a 10.9 percentage point increase compared to 2020, when the proportion was 49.9% (9,009 people).