"Disguised as Pudding Powder" Largest Ever Methamphetamine Smuggling Bust

Attempt to Smuggle 14kg of Philopon at Gimhae Airport
Discovered Through Detailed Inspection of Powder Inside Food Boxes

On the morning of the 29th of last month, A (29), a Malaysian national drug courier attempting to smuggle 14kg of methamphetamine into the country, was caught at Busan Gimhae Airport.

Specialized inspectors in the airport baggage X-ray inspection room noticed two boxes the size of ramen noodle boxes containing methamphetamine. They observed that one piece of luggage contained an unusually large amount of powder, which was different from typical baggage. The inspectors attached a specific inspection tag to the box and sent it along the conveyor belt.

Over 300 methamphetamine pills seized at the airport.
[Photo by Gimhae Airport Customs]

A tried to retrieve his luggage and leave the airport, but upon seeing the tag, Gimhae Airport Customs stopped him and guided him to an inspection room set up on one side of the departure hall.

There, Gimhae Airport Customs officers opened the two ramen box-sized packages and found about 300 bags of pudding powder used to make jelly, pudding, and yanggaeng (a Korean jelly dessert). At first glance, the bags appeared to be sealed finished products with carefully heat-sealed openings. A reportedly stated that he brought the pudding powder to share with acquaintances and for his own consumption.

A Gimhae Airport Customs official conducted a so-called 'destructive inspection' by opening the packaging. An ion scanner test to determine if the substance was a drug confirmed that the white crystals were methamphetamine. The amount of methamphetamine seized this time was enough for approximately 460,000 simultaneous doses, with an estimated street value of 46.3 billion KRW. This is the largest amount of methamphetamine seized from travelers at any airport nationwide, including Incheon Airport.

Recently, cases of drug smuggling attempts like this have been steadily emerging at Gimhae Airport. In particular, the discovery of a large quantity of methamphetamine, known to be the most addictive drug, has heightened tensions.

This is analyzed to be due to Gimhae Airport having many Southeast Asian routes, making it easier for drug offenders to move, and the so-called 'balloon effect,' where drug offenders flock to Gimhae Airport to avoid the strict drug detection network at Incheon Airport.

According to Yonhap News, a Gimhae Airport Customs official said, "In the case of drugs, if inspections are strict at a particular airport, there can be a 'balloon effect' where smuggling attempts shift to other airports, so other regional airports are also strengthening inspections together." He added, "We are conducting frequent focused inspections on travelers departing from Southeast Asia, so we ask passengers to actively cooperate with customs."

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