Grade-7 civil servant in charge of road sweepers identified CCTV locations
Received 12 million won for hiding and collecting methamphetamine
A civil servant at a city hall in the Seoul metropolitan area has been arrested and indicted after acting as a so-called "draper," a drug courier. He was found to have exploited CCTV location information he became aware of through his work to commit the crimes in blind spots.
The Government Joint Investigation Headquarters on Narcotics Crime, headed by Kim Bonghyeon, announced on February 25 that it had indicted without detention two people, including A (age 37), a Grade-7 civil servant at a city hall in the southern Gyeonggi area, and his live-in girlfriend B (age 30), on charges including violation of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances) and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Prevention of Illegal Trafficking in Narcotics, Etc.
A and others are accused of acting as drug couriers by hiding or collecting 6 grams of methamphetamine at six locations over about one month from mid-December last year. They are also charged with possessing 11 grams of methamphetamine and directly using narcotics.
A drug "draper" refers to a drug courier who, under orders from superiors, hides narcotics intended for delivery to others at specific locations and then takes and sends photos and coordinates of the hiding places. A was found to have meticulously committed the crimes by using blind spots to collect narcotics after identifying CCTV locations while working at city hall managing road sweepers. It was also revealed that, in return, he received virtual assets worth about 12 million won.
The Joint Narcotics Investigation Headquarters first arrested and detained the organization’s lowest-level draper through an undercover investigation in early December last year, then expanded the investigation. It subsequently arrested and indicted, in succession, six drapers belonging to the same organization, including the so-called "top-level draper" who directly received smuggled drugs and hid them in large quantities.
The organization was found to have been active in the southern Gyeonggi area. A was also identified as having been caught while working as a draper in this organization. During the investigation, A is reported to have stated to the effect that he "had no choice but to participate in the crime due to financial difficulties."
The Joint Narcotics Investigation Headquarters has also arrested and is investigating the smuggler involved in this case. It plans to indict the suspect soon. In addition, it will continue investigating additional parties involved, including drug dealers.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
