Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office: "No Evidence Customs Officials Were Involved in Crime"…Refutes Baek Haeryong's Claims

The Joint Investigation Team of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating allegations of external pressure on customs drug investigations, refuted Inspector Baek Haeryong's claims, stating, "Without evidence, it cannot be concluded that customs officials were involved in the crime."

On December 12, the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office stated, "During the initial on-site investigation, there was evidence that the smugglers were encouraged to give false statements, and their testimonies were inconsistent with each other, making it clear that the statements regarding customs officials' involvement were false. There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that customs officials participated in the smuggling."

The office further explained, "On the day of the incident, January 27, 2023, the flight taken by the smugglers was subject to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' quarantine inspection for plants and animals. However, this inspection targets passenger baggage, and in principle, body searches are not permitted, making it difficult to detect drugs. At that time, there was also a lack of legal grounds and technological means to inspect the bodies and belongings of people entering the country."

Earlier that day, Inspector Baek criticized, "The essence of the case is that (the drug syndicate members) attached more than 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to their bodies and concealed it inside wooden cutting boards, passing through a South Korean airport. The prosecution never once asked how they managed to get through. They failed to investigate the process and simply covered it up."

Meanwhile, the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office stressed, "We take very seriously the fact that Inspector Baek, even while seconded to the joint investigation team, leaked documents containing investigative materials and information such as the names and faces of those involved in the case to external parties without consulting or reporting to his superiors, which could potentially harm those concerned." On December 10, the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office sent an official letter to the National Police Agency's internal affairs division, requesting that "appropriate measures be taken" regarding Inspector Baek's violation of public relations regulations.