Gang Arrested for Distributing Drugs Equivalent to 17,000 Doses Through Foreign Massage Parlors

Narcotics seized by the International Crime Investigation Division of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The police have arrested a group involved in storing and selling methamphetamine and other narcotics sufficient for 17,000 doses through foreign massage parlors.

The International Crime Investigation Division of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency apprehended 24 individuals involved in distributing and selling narcotics such as methamphetamine (Philopon), a psychotropic drug, along with 23 others who purchased and used these drugs, totaling 47 people, of whom 33 were detained. During the arrests, the police seized narcotics worth approximately 1.7 billion KRW, including 504g of methamphetamine sufficient for 17,000 simultaneous doses, 292 yaba pills, and 22 ecstasy tablets.

The suspects divided roles as the head, manager, and seller from February to October and supplied narcotics using foreign massage parlors nationwide as their bases.

After receiving intelligence in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service in February this year, the international crime investigators conducted intensive investigations, arresting all 47 members of the narcotics distribution group, including the head, and detaining 33. The group, composed of a Korean head and manager and Thai sellers, was found to have systematically and organizationally distributed narcotics by designating regional managers and sellers in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Chungcheong, and Daejeon.

To prepare for police investigations, they communicated via social networking services (SNS) to confirm the buyer's location and situation, receiving the drugs through third parties or at agreed locations. Notably, it was confirmed that they instructed each other on behavioral guidelines in advance to prevent exposure of accomplices if some members were arrested.

A representative from the International Crime Investigation Division of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "We will continue year-round crackdowns on international crimes, including narcotics crimes involving Koreans, to block the inflow of overseas criminal organizations into the country and the empowerment and organization of foreign residents in Korea." They added, "Narcotics are highly addictive and cause dependency even after a single experience driven by curiosity or mistake, making it difficult to quit and causing brain damage even if stopped," urging active reporting.

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