Sugar Cubes and Aquarium Stones Mixed with Philopon... 900,000 Doses Smuggling Organization Uncovered through Korea-US Cooperation

Incheon District Prosecutors' Office Indicts and Detains 6 Including Receipt and Management Agents

Philopon hidden between stones for aquarium use
Photo by Incheon District Prosecutors' Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Members of an international drug trafficking organization who secretly smuggled a quantity of methamphetamine sufficient for 900,000 people to use simultaneously from the United States into South Korea have been brought to trial.

The Violent Crime Investigation Division of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Yeonsil) announced on the 12th that six key figures in the drug smuggling organization, including A (29), were arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes related to psychotropic substances.

Additionally, four individuals including B (29), who aided their escape, were indicted without detention, and arrest warrants were issued for overseas leaders C (32), who is illegally residing in the U.S., and manager/shipping agent D (32), with requests for extradition submitted to local investigative authorities.

A and others are accused of secretly importing 27.5 kg of methamphetamine and 800 tablets of MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) from the U.S. into South Korea through Incheon International Airport and Busan Port in 13 separate instances from December 2021 to October last year.

The amount of methamphetamine smuggled corresponds to a quantity sufficient for 900,000 people to use simultaneously, accounting for 70% of the total 38.7 kg of methamphetamine smuggled from the U.S. into South Korea and seized last year.

Investigations revealed that they recruited Korean-American community members and members of a violent gang based in Suwon, South Korea, sequentially through local communities and social networking services (SNS), centered around Korean-American leader C.

Subsequently, under the leader’s direction, the organization’s managers and shipping agents sent methamphetamine by air, which was received and managed by domestic recipients and handlers, confirming the smuggling operation.

To evade detection, they attempted to smuggle drugs mixed with sugar cubes, aquarium stones, cereals, or concealed within household exercise equipment or chessboard bases.

They also tried to avoid customs X-ray inspections by wrapping methamphetamine-filled plastic bags around the center of an 'H'-shaped wooden stand and then wrapping chains around it again.

Prosecutors began tracking the case after 9.2 kg of methamphetamine disguised as express cargo was first detected during customs clearance at Incheon Airport in December 2021, leading to the initial arrest of two recipients in the smuggling organization.

Working in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Incheon Customs Headquarters, they conducted a year-long investigation, arresting four more organization members including recipients and managers, and confiscated all smuggled drugs.

A prosecutor stated, "This case is the first to reveal the reality of a large-scale international drug organization with bases in both the U.S. and South Korea," adding, "We will continue to track the leader and manager/shipping agent residing in the U.S. in cooperation with local investigative authorities."

MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) found in cereal [Photo by Incheon District Prosecutors' Office]

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