Mokpo Coast Guard Arrests Four Foreign Crew Members for Possession, Use, and Transport of Narcotics

Arrest After Vehicle Escape Fight, Discovery of Drugs Including Ecstasy and Ketamine

Mokpo Coast Guard searching the vehicle. Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The Mokpo Maritime Police announced on the 26th that they have arrested four individuals, including foreign crew members (illegal immigrants) and distributors, on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act (three detained, one released without detention) and have sent them to the prosecution.

They are accused of possessing and using narcotics in the Jeonnam area, transporting them, and attempting to flee by tying a police officer executing an arrest warrant to a vehicle, among other charges of obstructing official duties.

The Maritime Police recently received intelligence that Mr. A (male in his 20s, Vietnamese nationality, crew member), a narcotics distributor in the Jeonnam region, was moving to Mokpo to sell a large quantity of narcotics. During the investigation, on the early morning of the 16th, they found Mr. A and Ms. B (female in her 30s) traveling by vehicle on Sanjeong-ro Road in Mokpo City and arrested them on the spot.

At the time of arrest, Mr. A attempted to flee by tying a police officer executing the arrest warrant to his vehicle but was caught after a struggle with the Mokpo Maritime Police officers. In Mr. A’s vehicle, narcotics worth approximately 40 million KRW were found, including 605 ecstasy pills and 12 grams of ketamine.

Drugs found in the vehicle of suspect A. Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard

Subsequently, while investigating Mr. A and the other arrested individual, the Maritime Police identified higher-level distributors and, after inquiries and tracking movement routes around Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, where narcotics transactions took place, they additionally arrested Mr. C (male in his 20s, Vietnamese nationality) and Ms. D (female in her 20s), who were on the run and hiding in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 20th.

A Mokpo Maritime Police official stated, “We plan to expand the investigation, believing there are more suppliers, distributors, and buyers related to narcotics.”

Meanwhile, in April of this year, four foreigners (three detained, one released without detention) were also arrested on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

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