123 foreigners caught for drug offenses

Korean police said 123 foreigners were caught in two months for drug use and dealing. gettyimagesbank

By Dong Sun-hwa

Police announced Wednesday they have caught 123 foreigners for drug-related offenses during the two-month crackdown following the Burning Sun scandal.

The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said 68 of them or 55.3 percent were drug users, while the remaining 55 or 44.7 percent, were dealers. Of the total, 75 were arrested.

The crackdown started on Feb. 25, after the drug scandal implicating Seungri, former member of K-pop group BIGBANG, erupted.

Burning Sun, a club in Gangnam affiliated with Seungri, proved to be a “hotbed of crime” where drugs and prostitution was rampant.

According to police, psychotomimetic agents, such as methamphetamine or crystal meth, and ecstasy were most commonly used, followed by marijuana.

The drugs were smuggled via international mail, and were hidden inside boxes that contained coffee or snacks.

The distribution was then organized via Internet or social media. Most of the time, the dealers hid the narcotics in a public location and the customers picked them up later without meeting face to face.

“We will eradicate drug crimes involving foreigners in cooperation with international police agencies and the Ministry of Justice,” a police official said.

The crackdown will continue until May 24.