Navy Corporal Secretly Travels Abroad for Vacation, Involved in Cannabis Smuggling... 76 Drug Offenders Arrested

A group distributing narcotics through random chat apps and overseas messengers has been apprehended in large numbers. Among them, it was confirmed that an active-duty soldier smuggled cannabis under the direction of a ringleader based overseas.
The SMPA Metropolitan Investigation Unit Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit stated on the 5th that it had booked 76 suspects for violating the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling, selling, and using drugs via online platforms, and detained 38 of them. The seized narcotics included a total of 5.3 kg of cannabis, methamphetamine, and Ketamine, with an estimated street value of 3.7 billion won. Criminal proceeds amounting to 132 million won were also confiscated. In addition, one overseas drug dealer residing in Thailand was identified and placed on a red notice by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
According to police, Corporal A (20), a member of the Navy, contacted a Thai drug dealer through a cryptocurrency trading chat room in March. The following month, in April, he traveled to Thailand without military authorization and smuggled 200 ml of liquid cannabis disguised in a shampoo bottle. In May, he instructed his friend B (20) to bring 10 kg of vacuum-packed cannabis hidden in a suitcase into the country, smuggling a total of 10.2 kg. Corporal A used a separate mobile phone, prohibited on the military base, exclusively for the crime and received direct instructions from the local Thai dealer.
Suspect C (49) and 45 others are accused of recruiting buyers and selling cannabis, methamphetamine, Ketamine, and other drugs through random chat apps, overseas messengers, and the Dark Web from April last year to October this year, using both face-to-face and non-face-to-face methods. Suspect D (45) and 28 others were booked for purchasing and using narcotics from these sellers.
Since April, police have been tracking online drug advertisements and sales channels, detecting transactions distributed through overseas IP addresses. They expanded the investigation by analyzing travel records between Thailand and Korea and virtual asset transfer histories. Through search and seizure and digital forensics, police secured records of overseas travel by A and B, mobile phone messages, and photos of cannabis handovers, as well as video footage of actual smuggling scenes and distribution activities at Incheon International Airport restrooms and Namyangju hiding places. Based on this evidence, Corporal A's charges were substantiated, and the case was transferred to the Navy Metropolitan Investigation Unit, resulting in his arrest.
Of the 76 individuals apprehended in this case, 29% of the 48 smugglers and sellers were in their 20s and 30s, and among them, 10 had no prior drug offenses. Police noted that the younger generation’s familiarity with online trading platforms and ease of overseas travel has led to an increase in their involvement not only in drug use but also in smuggling and distribution.
It was also found that, in this case, sellers in their 50s and 60s with more than 20 previous drug convictions were pushed into mid- and lower-level distribution roles, while suspects in their early 20s took on higher-level supplier positions.
A police official stated, "Young people are exploiting their familiarity with online systems and freedom of overseas travel to participate in drug distribution," adding, "It is a serious problem that an active-duty soldier was directly connected to an overseas drug dealer and carried out smuggling."
Meanwhile, since March, the police have operated a dedicated online narcotics investigation team and, last month, established a virtual asset tracking team to block illegal fund flows. The police are actively receiving citizen tips, and rewards of up to 500 million won are offered for information leading to arrests.
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter