20 Billion KRW Worth of Drugs Smuggled into Vietnam... 6 People Including the Ringleader Charged with 'Organizing a Criminal Group'

by Park Haesook

Published 11 May.2023 11:42(KST)

A criminal organization charge was applied to a group that smuggled drugs worth 2.2 billion KRW from Vietnam into the country and distributed them.

The Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 10th that they arrested 12 drug smuggling suspects, including the ringleaders A (29) and B (26), on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and booked 64 others, including seller C (27) and buyers, without detention.

The police additionally applied the criminal organization charge under the Criminal Act to six members of the group, including A and B.

A and others are suspected of smuggling drugs worth approximately 2.2 billion KRW, including ecstasy and methamphetamine, seven times from Vietnam through Incheon International Airport between June and December last year, and supplying and distributing them in Seoul and other metropolitan areas.

The ringleaders A and B, who are senior and junior acquaintances from the same neighborhood, reportedly formed an actual criminal group by appointing subordinates as couriers, recruiters, and managers.

In particular, they recruited physically large men as couriers to easily conceal large quantities of drugs and showed meticulousness by personally interviewing members to understand their tendencies.

They also used methods such as taking drugs together to prevent members from leaving the group or lending large sums of money and forcing participation in crimes to forgive debts if repayment was not possible.

A and others purchased drugs from local Vietnamese dealers they met through Facebook and wholesaled them to sellers in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and other metropolitan areas or sold them using the so-called "throwing" method via Telegram and virtual assets.

The police arrested A’s group consecutively and seized narcotics worth about 833 million KRW, Bitcoin, and cash amounting to 95 million KRW.

A police official stated, "We are continuing investigations into the domestic sales network of small-scale organizations, as well as drug buyers and users," and added, "We plan to actively apply criminal organization charges to punish organized drug smuggling crimes in the future."