"Entrapment for Opportunity Provision Too"... Seoul Gangnam Police Wage War on Drugs Again

'Police to Intensify Crackdown on Drug Crimes from March to May'
All Criminal Investigators Nationwide Deployed
Drug Distribution Active in 'Secret Chat Rooms and Telegram'... Difficulties in Securing Evidence

A scene from an entertainment district in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to the article content. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Gangnam and Suseo Police Stations have recently been strengthening opportunity-providing sting operations and online/offline monitoring. Opportunity-providing sting operations involve approaching individuals who have the intent to commit a crime and arresting them once they initiate the criminal act; this method is frequently used in drug investigations.

A police official stated on the 16th, "Drug use incidents occur relatively frequently in Gangnam, Nonhyeon, and Dogok-dong, where entertainment bars and lodging facilities are concentrated," adding, "We are doing our best to make arrests by concurrently conducting opportunity-providing sting operations." The day before, the Seoul Suseo Police Station apprehended a woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Ms. A is suspected of using drugs at a lodging facility in Dogok-dong, Seoul, around 3:30 p.m. on the 13th. The police said, "We are investigating the details of the crime" and "We plan to apply for an arrest warrant soon."

In January, a man in his 20s, Mr. B, was arrested for dealing drugs in the heart of Gangnam. At that time, 12 ecstasy pills were found inside the vehicle Mr. B was driving.

The police are also focusing on tracing distribution routes and identifying accomplices after arrests. A police officer working at a frontline station said, "Recently, drug distribution and spread have been widespread, making it difficult to catch offenders," and added, "Since the Burning Sun gate scandal in 2019 caused a huge controversy and the headquarters declared a period of intensive crackdowns, there is pressure to achieve some results in the Gangnam area." The conditions at the crackdown sites are challenging. If photos of Telegram chats, secret chat rooms, and other evidence used by suspects at the time of arrest are not taken, securing evidence later becomes difficult.

According to the National Police Agency, the number of drug offenders arrested increased from 8,887 in 2017 to 12,209 in 2020 and 10,626 in 2021. The amount of methamphetamine seized has also been on the rise, with 9.5 kg in 2019, 24.5 kg in 2020, and 65.6 kg in 2021.

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