Prosecutors Crack Down on Over 1,300 Drug Offenders This Year, a 25% Increase from Last Year
35% Increase in Methamphetamine and Other Psychotropic Offenses in January... 707 Drug Users Arrested
65% of Drug Offenders in Their 20s and 30s... 14 Minors Also Caught
In January of this year, the number of drug offenders caught by the prosecution reached 1,314, a 25.3% increase compared to the same period last year. This has led to criticism that the government's ongoing "War on Drugs" may not be effective. Last year, the number of domestic drug offenders reached a record high of 18,395.
According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 21st, the prosecution apprehended 294 marijuana offenders, 972 offenders of psychotropic drugs such as Philopon, and 48 cocaine and other drug offenders in January this year. Among those caught, 707 were drug users, and 335 were involved in smuggling or trafficking. The rest were either directly manufacturing drugs or simple possessors.
The amount of seized drugs was 90 kg, a 60.7% increase compared to 56 kg in the same period last year. Philopon increased by 608% compared to the previous year, Yaba?which means "crazy drug" in Thai?surged by 21,100%, and LSD, known as the "ultimate drug," skyrocketed by 5,800%.
Among the drug offenders registered with the prosecution, 76% were male and 24% female. The majority were in their 20s and 30s, followed by those in their 40s and 50s. Even 14 minors aged 15 to 19 were caught.
In October last year, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon ordered the prosecution to investigate drug crimes "with the determination to wage war," declaring a "War on Drugs." However, with the number of drug offenders increasing compared to last year from the first crackdown this year, it appears that no significant results have been achieved.
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Last month, the government launched a special drug crime investigation team composed of experts from the prosecution, Customs Service, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and four local governments at the four major regional prosecutors' offices nationwide (Seoul Central, Incheon, Busan, and Gwangju). The government announced plans to establish an investigation network covering all stages of drug distribution, from smuggling to sales, on a whole-of-government level.
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