Gangwon Provincial Police Agency Arrests 48, Detains 18
Some Smuggled as Bath Salts
A group smuggling drugs from the UK and France into South Korea hidden in luggage and on their bodies has been arrested. The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency announced on the 12th that they have arrested 48 individuals, including those responsible for smuggling and drug users, and have detained 18 of them on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (psychotropic drugs). These individuals are accused of smuggling and distributing drugs worth approximately 4.5 billion won, including ketamine and ecstasy, from the UK and France into South Korea on four occasions from September last year to September this year.
Two Dutch nationals responsible for smuggling disguised 2.4 kg of ketamine and ecstasy in feces-like shapes to avoid detection at airports and customs, and hid them in their bodies. Two local smugglers packed drugs as bath salt products and hid them in their luggage. Once in the country, the drugs were distributed mainly to entertainment establishments in the capital area using a method known as ‘throwing.’
The police have seized 8.8 kg of ketamine, about 100 g of philopon, around 500 ecstasy pills, and 330 ml of synthetic cannabis, excluding already distributed drugs, valuing at 4 billion won. This amount is enough for 300,000 people to use simultaneously.
A police official remarked, “This case shows that the smuggling routes for foreign drugs are expanding from Southeast Asia to Europe,” and added, “As the potential for South Korea to become a hub for drug distribution grows, we will build a more collaborative investigation system with airports and customs and focus our resources on investigating overseas supply and distribution networks through active international cooperation.”