[2022 National Audit] Sharp Increase in Drug Offenders Aged 10s and 20s... Gangnam Police Station Leads in Seoul

10s up 281%, 20s up 164%
Contrasting with decline in all ages 30s and above
Rapid increase in drug offenders via Deep Web (Dark Web)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The number of drug offenders arrested among teenagers and people in their twenties has sharply increased over the past five years.

On the 12th, Lee Man-hee, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, analyzed data received from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. According to the nationwide status, the number of drug offenders among teenagers rose from 81 to 309 cases, an increase of 281%, and among people in their twenties, from 1,327 to 3,507 cases, a 164% increase. This contrasts with other age groups such as those in their thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties and above, where drug offenses have been on the decline.

Over the past five years, among the 19 local police agencies nationwide, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested the highest number of drug offenders, totaling 12,960 people (22.5% of the total). Looking at the arrest status by the 31 police stations under Seoul's jurisdiction, it was found that the number of drug offenders arrested in major commercial districts was higher than in residential areas. Specifically, Gangnam Police Station arrested the most with 738 drug offenders, followed by Seocho Police Station (374 cases) and Yeongdeungpo Police Station (368 cases). Residential area police stations such as Bangbae Police Station (59 cases), Eunpyeong Police Station (74 cases), and Seongbuk Police Station (76 cases) showed relatively lower arrest numbers.

In Seoul, according to data from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the proportion of teenage drug offenders, which was only 1.3% of all drug offenders in 2017, increased to 2.5% last year. Similarly, the proportion of offenders in their twenties surged from 29% to 42.8% during the same period.

In particular, recent arrest data on cyber drug offenders shows an increase in arrests made through encrypted networks known as the deep web or dark web. Arrests using the deep web and similar methods, which were only 82 cases in 2019, rose sharply to 832 cases last year and reached 631 cases as of July this year.

Assemblyman Lee Man-hee stated, "It is urgent to prepare proactive and preemptive measures by significantly expanding specialized investigative personnel, advanced equipment, and budgets related to cyber drug transactions conducted through encrypted and sophisticated networks such as the dark web."

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