Drug Offenders Caught Almost Daily... We Are Currently at War with Drugs

Lower Entry Barriers for Young People via Cryptocurrency and SNS
Secondary Crimes Following Drug Use Also on the Rise

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] On the 13th, a man in his 20s and a man in his 50s were arrested by police for using methamphetamine at a lodging facility in Songpa-gu, Seoul. They met through a mobile messenger and were caught by police officers who arrived at the scene while they were using drugs. Police responded to a report from their acquaintance who suspected they were being "detained and illegally filmed," and upon entering the lodging facility, they found syringes and about 0.1g of methamphetamine hidden inside the mattress of the room's bed.

On the same day, two men in their 20s and one woman in her 20s were also caught by police for collectively using drugs in a parking lot of a building in Seocho-gu. Police discovered alcohol swabs stained with blood and syringes inside the vehicle, and found signs of drug use on their bodies. During the investigation, they reportedly stated that they purchased methamphetamine through social networking services (SNS).

We are truly in an era of war against drugs. While the development of virtual currency and SNS has pushed drug transactions further underground, the entry barriers for young people are becoming lower.

In fact, the proportion of drug offenders in their 20s is increasing. According to the "2021 Drug Crime White Paper" published by the Anti-Corruption and Violence Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, among the 16,153 domestic drug offenders caught last year, 5,077 (31.4%) were in their 20s, the highest number. They were followed by those in their 30s (4,096; 25.4%) and 40s (2,670; 16.5%). More than half of all drug offenders belong to the 20s and 30s age groups.

Secondary crimes caused by drugs are also occurring continuously. On the 12th, in Dongjak-gu, a man in his 30s who had used methamphetamine caused an accident by hitting a road curb and was urgently arrested by police. Police officers who arrived at the accident scene conducted a breathalyzer test on the man, who was speaking incoherently, but found no blood alcohol concentration. Suspicious, they discovered evidence of methamphetamine and other drug use near the rear of the vehicle.

Last month, Park, the suspect in a "random murder and assault" case involving a Chinese-Korean in Guro-gu, also tested positive for methamphetamine in a rapid drug test. Park, intoxicated by drugs, assaulted a man in his 60s on the street, robbed him of money, killed him by hitting him with a curb, and even assaulted an 80-year-old man who was collecting scrap nearby.

Drug crimes, which have emerged as a serious social problem, are increasing day by day. Last year, 1,295.7 kg of drugs were seized, of which 1,179 kg were major drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. This represents a 304% increase in total drugs and a 520% increase in major drugs compared to the previous year.

The number of drug offenders is also steadily rising. From January to April this year, 4,307 drug offenders were caught, an increase of 416 (10.7%) compared to 3,891 during the same period last year. The number of crackdowns also increased by 9.6%, with 3,387 cases this year compared to 3,090 last year.

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