Drug smuggling attempts to Korea up 24 percent in first 9 months

A police officer checks drugs seized from a suspected crime organization at a police station in Seoul on May 29, 2024. [YONHAP] The number of drug trafficking attempts into Korea rose 24 percent during the first nine months of 2024 from a year earlier, the customs agency said Monday. A total of 623 cases of drug trafficking attempts were detected in the January-September period, up from 501 cases from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS). Related ArticleKorean police, Interpol seize $1B in drugs, nab 29 offenders in Golden Triangle operationSeoul to crack down on clubs, entertainment facilities as war on drugs escalates Luxury hotels, fast cars and illegal drugs: Elite university students busted for hard-partying social club In terms of volume, drugs seized at the border rose 16 percent on-year to 574 kilograms (1,265 pounds) during the cited period, the agency said, adding the confiscated amount can be used by 19 million people at the same time. The data means that the authorities caught two smuggling cases, or 2.1 kilograms of drugs, every day in the first nine months of the year, the KCS noted. "We've seen an increasing number of small-scale smuggling cases, as more people appeared to have tried to illegally bring in drugs for their own consumption," an agency official said. Large-scale attempts have also grown after the Covid-19 pandemic despite tighter border control, the official added. Of the total cases, 51 percent were carried out through international mail, followed by express cargo accounting for 25 percent and air travelers at 23 percent. The number of drug smuggling attempts through international mail, in particular, have surged 41 percent on-year, though the volume involved fell 40 percent due to the marked growth in small-scale smuggling cases, the agency said. By type, methamphetamine accounted for 59 percent of the total amount seized, or 338 kg, followed by cocaine with 11 percent of the total and hemp at 8 percent. By origin, Thailand topped the list by taking up 41 percent of the total volume, and the United States came next with 19 percent. Drugs from Mexico and Malaysia took up 5 percent each, and those from Canada and the Netherlands accounted for 4 percent each, the agency data showed. "The government will strengthen the monitoring system and conduct more extensive operations to thwart smuggling attempts," the agency said in a release.