By Yoon Tae-sik
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Furthermore, crimes related to novel drugs such as synthetic hemp or Yaba have also been rampant in Korea, especially among foreigners in rural areas or construction sites. Unlike in the past when drugs were mainly used in bars or nightclubs, now they are also used publicly in various places including at home, in cars or camping sites.
A reason for the increase in drug offenses is the easy access to narcotics. Drug dealers target virtual spaces such as encrypted social media platforms or the dark web where anonymity and non-face-to-face settings are guaranteed. Virtual asset-based transactions maximize anonymity.
The tech-savvy younger generation has become the main target. Meanwhile, there are concerns that as the drug supply has increased in Southeast Asia and worldwide, international drug syndicates have increasingly targeted Korea as a destination for smuggling. One of the main reasons is that the price of drugs is relatively higher in Korea than in other nations.
The KCS stands at the forefront of Korea's war on narcotics. Eighty-six percent of the seized drugs in Korea over the past five years were intercepted at airports and other ports of entry. Indeed, except for the abuse of prescription drugs, it is safe to say that the most illicit drugs in the domestic market, such as methamphetamine or synthetic hemp, are being smuggled into the country from overseas.
Customs officers at all airports and ports of entry across the country are fighting desperately against drug trafficking. However, we have to admit that there still remain loopholes in reality. Drug smuggling is typically a hidden crime.
Accordingly, the KCS is making exceptional endeavors in a bid to tackle drug smuggling at our borders as follows:
First, the KCS is constantly dedicated to reinforcing the capability of drug investigation divisions and supplementing their workforce. In July, the Incheon-centered drug investigation system was expanded across the country, including Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, and Pyeongtaek customs.
This aimed to build a nationwide drug enforcement system. By the end of this year, the KCS will strongly confront ever-soaring drug smuggling attempts by greatly supplementing the number of investigators, with Incheon and Busan at the center, which are the major entry points for drug trafficking in Korea.
Second, the KCS is continuing its efforts to expand cutting-edge scientific inspection equipment in order to strengthen its drug-detection capabilities. While still expanding traditional high-tech equipment such as 3D X-ray or ion scanners, it has launched a development project for AI-based complex X-ray machines with high resolutions. The KCS, in particular, expects to enhance its capacity to control surging novel drugs with the introduction of Raman spectroscopy next year.
Third, the KCS is also strengthening cooperation with drug control agencies at home and abroad. Not only does it closely cooperate with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Police Agency, and National Intelligence Service, but the KCS also shares information and intelligence with foreign authorities and engages in joint programs. For instance, the KCS carried out the joint anti-drug operation SIREN with the Thai Customs Department (TCD) for four months since May.
The KCS established its first-ever Operation Coordination Unit at TCD to trace any suspicious shipments of drugs headed for Korea. As a result, 22kg of methamphetamines and 290,000 Yaba pills were intercepted, which otherwise would have entered Korea by travelers or international postal parcels. The amount of seized drugs is the equivalent of a staggering 3.92 million people, triple the amount before the operation.
Still, approximately 2.6 tons of shipments and 40 thousand people are crossing Korea's borders per day on average. At the same time, the modus operandi of drug traffickers who destroy our souls and society is becoming increasingly sophisticated. However, the KCS will never retreat from the enemy.
Yoon Tae-sik is the commissioner of the Korea Customs Service.
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