'Corona' Is Not the Only Danger... Red Alert on Drugs During 'Halloween Day'

Telegram Drug Sales Surge Ahead of Halloween Day
Pumpkin-Shaped Packaging and Halloween Costume Events
Drug Offenders: 8,107 in 2017 → 10,411 in 2019
Broadcasting Review Committee's Correction Requests: 6,362 Cases Until September This Year
Police: "Focused Investigation on Drug Distribution in Clubs"

Photo of drugs for Halloween party posted in a Telegram drug sales chatroom. / Photo by Telegram chat screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyoon Song and Jeongyun Lee] Ahead of Halloween Day, 'cyber drug dealers' selling party drugs are also running rampant. Some dealers are even promoting Halloween-exclusive drugs in competition.

On the 28th, a post appeared in a Telegram group chat related to drug sales, advertising a 'Halloween party drug kit' for sale. The post included photos of drugs packaged in pumpkin shapes and syringes filled with liquid substances. The seller who posted this announced a Halloween costume event on the 30th and promised to give free drugs to the winner. Another drug sales chat room posted that drugs would be supplied at a 10% discount in celebration of Halloween Day. This seller tempted participants by saying, "During Halloween, drug buyers gather more than usual, so you need to buy quickly to secure the goods."

Abroad, various incidents and drug-related crimes frequently occur around Halloween every year. South Korea is no longer a safe zone from drug crimes, so the situation cannot be taken lightly. A club official who requested anonymity said, "Nowadays, clubs themselves do not supply drugs directly, but it is common for customers to secretly bring them in and use them inside," adding, "Especially in Itaewon, where there are many small clubs, it is difficult to crack down on each one."

The number of drug offenders, which was 8,887 in 2017, rose sharply to 10,411 last year. Compared to 8,107 in 2018, this is a 28.4% increase. This year, 7,836 people have been arrested up to August, and the number is expected to surpass last year. The Korea Communications Standards Commission also issued correction orders for 7,551 internet posts related to drug sales and mediation last year, and this year, up to September, 6,362 correction orders have been issued, greatly exceeding last year's figures.

The police are closely monitoring this situation. The National Police Agency extended the 'second half special crackdown on drug offenders,' originally scheduled until the 31st of this month, until the end of this year, deploying 13,502 personnel from criminal, cyber, and foreign affairs investigation units to conduct a large-scale drug crackdown. A police official said, "Since the Burning Sun incident, we have been intensively investigating drugs distributed in clubs," adding, "Even if transactions are made via virtual currency on messengers like Telegram, traces inevitably remain, so we are tracking these flows to completely block illegal activities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.