170 Billion Won Methamphetamine Smuggling 'Asia's Drug King'... Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison

'Asia Drug Kingpin' escorted from Incheon International Airport in May this year (center).
Photo provided by Incheon District Prosecutors' Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The so-called "Asia Drug King," who smuggled methamphetamine worth 60 billion won into South Korea and lived as a fugitive overseas, was sentenced to a heavy prison term after being forcibly summoned back to the country after four years.

The 15th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Pyo Geukchang) sentenced A (56), who was detained and indicted on charges of violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Illegal Drug Transactions, to 17 years in prison, a fine of 30 million won, and ordered the confiscation of approximately 780 million won at the sentencing hearing held on the 17th.

The court stated, "Drugs including methamphetamine cause great harm to society, and it is necessary to respond strictly to related crimes," adding, "Considering that he imported a large quantity of methamphetamine over a long period and sold it directly, the nature of the crime is quite serious."

Earlier, the prosecution demanded a sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of 130 million won for A at the closing arguments last month.

A was detained and indicted on charges of smuggling 18.3 kg of methamphetamine worth billions of won into South Korea 21 times from Cambodia between September 5, 2013, and December 20, 2017. The 18.3 kg of methamphetamine is enough for about 610,000 people to use simultaneously.

Known as the Asia Drug King, he is also accused of selling methamphetamine worth 90 million won 185 times in Seoul and other areas over about three years starting in 2015 from the smuggled methamphetamine.

In 2016, during the investigation and arrest of domestic couriers, the prosecution identified A's presence overseas and issued a red notice through Interpol.

Subsequently, A was captured by Korean investigators in Cambodia in January 2018 and detained in an immigration detention center but escaped and fled to Thailand. He was re-arrested at the end of last year and detained in a Thai prison. He was forcibly repatriated to South Korea in May of this year, four years after the prosecution began the investigation.

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