Gov't aims to legalize undercover drug investigations

A screen shows an image of illicit drugs disguised as chocolates at Seoul Mapo Police Station in Seoul, Nov. 21. On Wednesday, the Office for Government Policy Coordination announced measures to curb an epidemic of drug abuse. Newsis

The government seeks to legalize undercover drug investigations and introduce on-site testing for drivers suspected to be under the influence of illicit substances as part of its efforts to curb drug abuse, officials said on Wednesday.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced the antidrug measures, through which all relevant government ministries and agencies aim to curtail the worrying trend and raise awareness regarding the dangers of substance abuse over the next five years.

One of the most notable measures is to introduce a team of undercover drug investigators who would use fake identities to pretend to be, for example, potential buyers to apprehend key members of drug cartels.

In Korea, undercover investigations are permitted only in digital sex crimes targeting minors. Officials believe this should expand to drug cases through legislation.

The government plans to draft a bill in the coming months to permit such investigations. A similar bill was proposed by a group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers in August.

The government will also press ahead with revising relevant laws to enable police officers to conduct on-site drug tests on drivers or ship captains suspected of being under the influence of drugs. The present legal basis is weak to penalize those who refuse to be tested, officials said.

The announcement comes amid a surge in drug cases. According to data from the prosecution, 27,611 people were apprehended for drug-related offenses in 2023, compared with 18,395 in 2022 and 12,613 in 2018.

It is unclear how many people use illegal substances. But officials said the number was estimated to be somewhere between 310,000 and 460,000 in 2023.

“In recent years, the use of drugs has spread, especially among young people. This threatens people’s daily lives,” acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said during a meeting with ministers at Government Complex Seoul. “To safely protect the people’s lives and health, the government has mapped out a basic plan.”

Given that drug dealers have been increasingly using online services as their main platforms, police plan to strengthen monitoring of apps such as Telegram and the dark web, a hidden part of the internet that is not visible to regular search engines.

They also plan to further develop their system designed to track cryptocurrency transactions related to criminal activities and enlarge the team dedicated to such tasks.

Meanwhile, screening at airports and seaports will be bolstered. For example, travelers who have visited high-risk countries for drug trafficking could be inspected more thoroughly and there would be more random inspections in Korea’s territorial waters, in collaboration with other nations.

One of the areas the government will focus on is reducing the number of young substance abusers, including teenagers. Officials said they seek to make drug education mandatory for high-risk groups of young students and strengthen partnerships with universities to raise awareness of its adverse effects. The government said it aims to decrease the number of drug offenders in their teens and 20s to fewer than 5,000 in 2029, from about 5,600 today.