Two individuals in their 20s have been arrested in South Korea for participating in the smuggling and distribution of approximately 7.1 kg (15.6 lbs) of narcotics, including synthetic cannabis.
On Monday, the Busan Main Customs Office announced that it had apprehended a woman in her 20s, acting as a customs clearance agent, and a man in his 20s, responsible for distribution.
Last May, Busan Customs tracked down and arrested the woman after detecting 700 grams of highly concentrated liquid cannabis smuggled from the United States via international mail, which Incheon Airport Customs first intercepted.
Further investigation uncovered that the woman had previously received 4.5 kg (9.9 lbs) of synthetic marijuana from Vietnam and an additional 700 grams of liquid cannabis from the United States.
During the investigation, authorities discovered evidence that the woman had repackaged the drugs at her residence. Additionally, they identified the man who had used a dead drop method to distribute 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs) of synthetic cannabis smuggled from Vietnam to areas such as Suwon.
At the time the man was identified as a suspect by Busan Customs, he had already been arrested by the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency while attempting to distribute drugs using the same “dead drop” method. He is currently serving time in prison.
While investigating the case, Busan Customs also found another 1.2 kg of synthetic cannabis from Vietnam that had been delivered to an apartment in Dong-gu, Busan. The quantity seized is enough for approximately 20,000 doses.
The woman and the man were not acquainted with each other but were separately recruited by a drug ring operating on Telegram, unable to resist the temptation of high-paying jobs.
The drug ring leader communicated with them through Telegram, providing detailed instructions, and paid them through an unregistered cryptocurrency exchanger, making transactions difficult to trace.
A Busan Customs official warned, “Drug dealers are increasingly targeting young people who are familiar with social media, luring them into drug crimes with the promise of high financial rewards. Extra caution is needed.”
Busan Customs, in cooperation with the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office and the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, plans to continue investigating the main orchestrator of the Telegram-based drug smuggling operation, which has been trafficking drugs into South Korea using the same methods.