'88% Korean Chinese' Drug Organization Busted Again... Deported Ringleader Reactivates Domestic Distribution Network

[Financial News] The ringleader of a Korean Chinese drug organization, who had previously been deported from Korea as a Chinese national, was caught by police after reestablishing a domestic distribution network.
On the 11th, the Metropolitan Investigation Unit Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) announced the arrest of 122 individuals who, in collusion with Korean Chinese ringleader Mr. A (44) via Chinese social networking service, distributed methamphetamine throughout the Seoul metropolitan area. Most of those arrested were identified as Korean Chinese, with 56 detained. Charges include violations of the Narcotics Control Act, attempted aggravated assault, violations of the Firearms, Swords, and Explosives Control Act, and breaches of the Immigration Control Act.
In 2019, Mr. A was sentenced to one year in prison by the Suwon District Court for possession and distribution of methamphetamine and was deported to China. In 2023, he mobilized relatives and acquaintances from his hometown to distribute 9kg of methamphetamine worth 30 billion KRW domestically, becoming the ringleader and being placed on the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Red Notice list. He recruited his wife, nephew, and friends as core members and coordinated with ringleaders from six countries to smuggle large quantities of drugs into Korea. After the original domestic network was dismantled by investigations, he attempted to rebuild it with a new network centered on Korean Chinese.
According to the investigation, 56 distributors under Mr. A's direction concealed 1,890 grams of methamphetamine in residential mailboxes and other locations in the Seoul metropolitan area on 3,058 occasions between October 2023 and May this year, sending the coordinates to Mr. A. Sixty-six buyers retrieved the drugs from these locations, as instructed via SNS, and used them at their residences and elsewhere.
Police reported that 108 of the suspects arrested were Korean Chinese—49 out of 56 distributors and 59 out of 66 buyers or users—accounting for about 90%. One distributor, a Korean Chinese who entered the country illegally, used another person's identity. Mr. B, a distributor in his 30s, threatened an undercover detective with a sashimi knife during his arrest. Mr. B was also known to carry weapons in his vehicle in preparation for conflicts with rival groups and possible arrest.
Police confiscated criminal tools such as baseball bats, sashimi knives, and walkie-talkies, and secured pre-indictment seizure of criminal proceeds worth 29.5 million KRW. The 1,660 grams of methamphetamine seized is valued at 5.5 billion KRW, enough for approximately 55,000 simultaneous doses.
During the investigation, distributors refined their dead drop method, hiding drugs in remote temples, fishing spots, and wooded areas to avoid detection. They deleted SNS conversations immediately after communication, and received payment through Chinese payment services or cash dead drops to evade law enforcement. The group used a closed Korean Chinese network for drug distribution and use, with so-called 'drug couriers' receiving 10,000–20,000 KRW per delivery.
A police official warned, "Many people are still tempted to join drug distribution by the prospect of making quick money. Ringleaders treat distributors as disposable, and ultimately, those involved face arrest, heavy sentences, and full forfeiture of criminal proceeds."
Meanwhile, police plan to intensify investigations into smuggling and large-scale distribution offenders in connection with the 'Second Half Narcotics Crime Intensive Crackdown,' which is in effect until January next year.425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter