Did COVID-19 Affect Philopon Supply? Large-Scale Manufacturing 'Drug Factories' Invade Residential Areas

Drug manufacturing tools infiltrated in a residential area. [Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] As the spread of COVID-19 disrupted the smuggling of narcotics, it was revealed that facilities manufacturing drugs directly had infiltrated residential areas.

A man in his 30s who openly manufactured a large quantity of methamphetamine in a residential area was recently arrested and detained by the Busan police. The one-room apartment, a residential facility, was essentially a large-scale methamphetamine production factory.

The Drug Crime Investigation Division of the Violent Crime Investigation Unit at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 19th that they arrested and sent to prosecution suspect A, who had installed manufacturing facilities in a one-room apartment in a residential area of Gumi, Gyeongbuk, from April to July, and attempted to produce and distribute methamphetamine.

According to the police, since April, A rented two one-room apartments in a residential area of Gumi, Gyeongbuk, equipped them with ventilation systems and various devices necessary for methamphetamine production, and manufactured about 1kg of methamphetamine.

The police seized 1kg of completed methamphetamine at the manufacturing site, along with 49 pieces of various equipment needed for production and 13 types of chemical substances.

The methamphetamine produced by A up to the time of arrest was worth approximately 3.3 billion KRW, a quantity sufficient for about 33,000 people to use simultaneously.

In the past, drug manufacturers chose secluded and discreet locations, but the suspect arrested this time set up facilities and manufactured drugs in a densely populated urban residential area.

Additionally, to avoid the odor generated during the manufacturing process and the attention of residents within the building, the suspect used both of the top-floor one-room units and installed ventilation facilities capable of expelling air outside.

1kg of methamphetamine seized by Busan Police.
[Image source=Busan Police Agency]

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency is also expanding investigations into whether the suspect distributed methamphetamine.

A police official stated, “As smuggling narcotics from overseas has become difficult due to the recent spread of COVID-19, we anticipate an increase in attempts to produce narcotics domestically, and we are conducting focused crackdowns on drug manufacturing and supply offenders.”

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