Foreign National in His 30s Arrested for Attempting to Smuggle in Narcotics Enough for More Than 2,200 People to Use Simultaneously

[Financial News] An Indonesian national in his 30s who was residing in South Korea without legal status has been arrested for attempting to smuggle in controlled substances through international express mail—an amount that could be used by about 2,000 people simultaneously. It is the first case of a drug offender being arrested through the second interception checkpoint at a mail center in the Busan area.
Busan Main Customs of the Korea Customs Service and the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office said on the 23rd that they had indicted and detained A, an Indonesian national in his 30s, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
A is accused of attempting to smuggle in controlled substances worth 28.4 million won last month, including 68 grams of methamphetamine and 10 MDMA tablets. The Korea Customs Service explained that 68 grams of methamphetamine is enough for 2,280 people to use simultaneously when calculated based on a typical single dose of 0.03 grams.
According to customs officials, the parcel arrived at Incheon International Airport by air on the 25th of last month and underwent initial customs clearance. It was transferred the following day, on the 26th, to the Busan Mail Center, the second interception checkpoint for the Busan area. Inspection staff at the Yongdang Customs International Mail Support Center detected an abnormal X-ray image and became suspicious after noticing the flimsy packaging and unusual texture of the traditional tea products. A rapid reagent test found 71 small transparent zip-top bags containing substances suspected to be controlled substances inside bags from a traditional tea set.
After the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office and other relevant agencies were informed of the situation by customs officials, they delayed delivery by one day to lure A out. Customs officials and prosecutors then carried out a joint controlled delivery and arrested A at a receiving site in Gimhae as he attempted to collect the parcel. Prosecutors subsequently secured evidence through a digital forensic analysis of his mobile phone and questioning, and indicted and detained him.
This is the first case of a drug offender being arrested through the second interception checkpoint at a mail center in the Busan area. Since April, the Korea Customs Service and Korea Post have established second interception checkpoints at five mail centers nationwide and have been conducting additional inspections. As a result, the Korea Customs Service has detected narcotics at all mail centers nationwide since establishing its “N-tier interception” system.
The Korea Customs Service said, "We will work closely with prosecutors and other relevant agencies to thoroughly block the smuggling of narcotics and ensure that detected crimes lead to severe punishment," adding, "We will track down the forces behind these crimes, including overseas suppliers, to the very end through international cooperation in criminal justice."

[email protected] Baek Chang-hoon Reporter