8 Malaysians arrested on drug smuggling charges
Seized bags of meth are on display at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, Tuesday. Yonhap
Eight Malaysians have been arrested and indicted on charges of attempting to smuggle methamphetamine worth 44 billion won (US$39.4 million) into South Korea, prosecutors here said Tuesday.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office said the Malaysian suspects were arrested earlier this month in a joint investigation with the customs office and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and were all referred to trial after being indicted.
The eight suspects are accused of attempting to smuggle 13.3 kilograms of methamphetamine from Malaysia into South Korea via Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport on five occasions from Dec. 27 last year to Jan. 17, the office said.
They wrapped plastic bags each containing 1 to 2 kg of the banned substance on their thighs or abdomens with bandages and tried to pass through the airports.
Most of them are accused of acting as drug mules under the direction of a Malaysian drug ring, the office noted.
The Incheon prosecution began the investigation last month after being told by the NIS that a large amount of methamphetamine was being smuggled into South Korea from Southeast Asia. Then the Malaysian suspects were successively arrested at the two airports.
The 13.3 kg of methamphetamine seized in the investigation could have yielded as many as 440,000 doses.
The prosecution plans to expand its investigation to look into the possibility of methamphetamine smuggled from Southeast Asia being already in circulation in the country.
Separately from the case, two South Korean nationals have been arrested by prosecutors here on charges of attempting to smuggle 3.4 kg of methamphetamine, concealed in their baggage, from the United States.
"Recently, drug transactions are spreading in South Korea mainly through social media. International drug organizations are said to perceive South Korean addicts as offering comparatively high prices for drugs," a prosecution official said.
According to the Korea Customs Service, South Korean authorities confiscated 426 kg of drugs in 660 cases last year, compared with 69 kg in 429 cases the year before.
Methamphetamine, also known as Philopon, was the most smuggled drug, totaling 222.9 kg, compared with 30.9 kg in 2017. (Yonhap)