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| Lee Sun-ho. Courtesy of CJ |
Lee Sun-ho, CJ Group heir apparent and the eldest son of group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun, was caught smuggling and using an illegal drug, according to the prosecution, Monday.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office confirmed that it was investigating Lee, 29, over his alleged violation of the Narcotics Control Act.
The heir apparent is suspected of smuggling dozens of e-cigarette cartridges filled with highly enriched liquid marijuana from the United States. The customs authority at Incheon International Airport caught him while screening his luggage.
Lee was referred to the prosecution immediately and reportedly admitted to all the charges.
He is also suspected of using the illegal substance, as he tested positive in a urine test.
However, Lee was sent home after the investigative body decided to book him without physical detention, unlike most cases where the investigative authorities apprehend drug smugglers on the spot or seek arrest warrants.
Prosecutors said they sent Lee home after taking various conditions into consideration such as his lack of a criminal record and quick admission of the crime.
Lee began working at the group in 2013. While some scions of chaebol have been caught for drug use, it is the first time an heir apparent has been involved.
Other chaebol scions have also tried to bring in marijuana vaping cartridges.
Chey Young-geun, grandson of SK Group founder Chey Jong-gun, was arrested in April on charges of using 15 marijuana vaping cartridges and eating marijuana edibles for about one year since March 2018, after purchasing them from a drug dealer surnamed Lee.
While questioning Lee, police also discovered that a grandson of Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung had purchased the same illegal substance from the dealer and used it 26 times.
Chey and Chung were indicted by the prosecution, which called for 18 months of imprisonment and fines of more than 10 million won for each of them in June. The court ruling is scheduled for Friday.
Hwang Ha-na, a granddaughter of Namyang Dairy Products founder Hong Du-yeong, was also placed under detention on drug charges in April. She was released later and given a suspended jail term.
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