Arrests of drug smugglers, manufacturers rise 33.8% this year: police
Park Wang-yeol, center, a South Korean national detained in the Philippines, arrives at Incheon airport, to face an investigation into alleged cross-border drug trafficking, March 25. Korea Times file
The number of people arrested for drug smuggling and manufacturing rose more than 30 percent in the first eight months of this year from a year earlier, police said Monday.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the Korean National Police Agency said it arrested 174 people for drug manufacturing and smuggling between January and August, up 33.8 percent from 130 during the same period last year.
The number of people arrested for dealing drugs also rose 6.6 percent on-year to 3,396 during the cited period.
The total number of people caught for drug-related offenses stood at 9,530, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier. Of the total, 706 people were arrested for offenses involving medical drugs, an 11.9 percent increase from a year earlier.
The police have focused their investigative efforts on cutting off drug supply sources and distribution networks this year.
In a major case, the police repatriated and arrested notorious drug trafficker Park Wang-yeol from the Philippines, who had been imprisoned in the Southeast Asian country on suspicion of killing three Koreans and is suspected of distributing drugs to buyers in Korea.
The police identified 6.3 billion won ($4.69 million) worth of drugs linked to Park, including 12.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as 8.63 billion won worth of criminal proceeds.
They later worked with Thai authorities to arrest and repatriate Choi Byeong-min, a key drug supplier for Park, uncovering 41 additional offenses and identifying 6 billion won worth of criminal proceeds, which were seized before indictment.
The NOI said it plans to strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies and foreign counterparts. As part of the efforts, the police agency will hold an international conference on narcotics next month and expand international cooperation.