Thailand's 'Crazy Drug': 2,000 Yaba Tablets Caught Before Being Distributed in Korea

[Financial News] A Thai gang and others who smuggled 2,000 tablets of the synthetic drug 'Yaba' into Korea by hiding them in snack boxes have been arrested by police.
On the 17th, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had arrested 30 people, including three groups that smuggled narcotics from overseas and distributed them domestically, as well as sellers, buyers and users, on charges including violating the Narcotics Control Act. Seventeen of them were detained.
According to police, the Thai overseas ringleader smuggled 2,000 Yaba tablets from Thailand for domestic distribution. Three domestic distributors, including Mr. A, are suspected of collecting the drugs, hiding them in snack boxes and selling them to Thai nationals residing in Korea. All of them were found to be Thai nationals and illegal immigrants.
Yaba is a tablet-form methamphetamine that is relatively unfamiliar in Korea but has long been distributed in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Its name is known to mean 'crazy drug' in Thai, and it is generally used by inhaling the smoke produced when it is heated.
Police arrested a distributor in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong Province, last August after conducting a stakeout. The seized Yaba was wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and aluminum foil. Police are continuing to verify the identity of the Thai overseas ringleader.
Other groups brought methamphetamine, Ketamine and Etomidate into Korea using different methods.
Mr. B, in his 40s, was found to have recruited couriers through social media from June to October last year at the direction of an overseas drug dealer staying in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The couriers brought 1.25 kg of methamphetamine and 500 g of Ketamine into Korea from the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand by placing the drugs in sunflower seed bags or hiding them on their bodies, including in the groin area.
Smugglers were promised approximately 2 million to 3 million won per trip, while so-called 'droppers,' who delivered the drugs domestically, were paid about 30,000 won per delivery. Police issued an International Criminal Police Organization Red Notice for two overseas ringleaders in connection with the case.
Mr. C, in his 40s, is suspected of smuggling a total of 1,000 mL of Etomidate into Korea between June and July after receiving an offer from an overseas drug dealer staying in Thailand and recruiting a younger acquaintance from his hometown as a courier. He brought the Etomidate into Korea twice after hiding it in cosmetic containers, and police, working with customs, seized 500 mL during the second smuggling attempt.
The narcotics seized by police during the investigation included 1.25 kg of methamphetamine, 500 g of Ketamine, 2,000 Yaba tablets and 500 mL of Etomidate, with a market value of approximately 6 billion won. Police estimate that the methamphetamine was enough for about 410,000 people to use, while the Ketamine was enough for approximately 160,000 people. Criminal proceeds totaling 27.45 million won were also recovered.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) and customs also cooperated in the investigation. The investigations into the Mr. B and Yaba cases began based on intelligence about drug smuggling and distribution from Southeast Asia provided by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). In the Etomidate case, police shared intelligence they had obtained about the smuggling operation with customs, leading to its detection at the entry stage at Incheon International Airport.
Police have issued an International Criminal Police Organization Red Notice for three overseas ringleaders and are tracking the identity of one additional overseas ringleader.

[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter