Korea-Thailand Customs Authorities Preemptively Block Smuggling of 72kg of Narcotics

Korean and Thai customs authorities have blocked the smuggling of 72 kg of narcotics originating from Thailand.

The Korea Customs Service announced on the 18th that from March to June, it conducted the ‘Korea-Thailand 2nd Joint Narcotics Smuggling Crackdown (Operation Siren II)’ with the Thai Customs Department, uncovering 49 cases of illegal narcotics smuggling, including 46 kg of YABA and 12 kg of methamphetamine (commonly known as Philopon), secretly brought into Korea from Thailand.

Provided by Korea Customs Service

The crackdown was carried out based on the fact that most of the methamphetamine smuggled into Korea originates from the Southeast Asian Golden Triangle, and among foreign drug offenders caught domestically, those of Thai nationality are the most numerous. As the most effective method to block narcotics smuggling from Thailand, a joint crackdown was launched with the local Thai customs authorities.

The recent four-month crackdown was conducted based on the effectiveness confirmed during the first joint crackdown carried out from May to August last year. In the first crackdown, the customs authorities of both countries succeeded in blocking a total of 35 cases involving 117.5 kg of illegal narcotics smuggling.

Accordingly, the Korea Customs Service established a joint crackdown control headquarters at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand (with five narcotics investigation intelligence officers from each country, totaling 10 participants), and since March, intelligence officers from both Korean and Thai customs authorities have been analyzing and sharing real-time information on narcotics smuggling trends, tracking and uncovering suspicious concealed shipments of narcotics originating from Thailand bound for Korea.

Provided by Korea Customs Service

The Korea Customs Service explained that the total weight of narcotics seized during the second crackdown was 2.6 times higher than the 28 kg seized from March to June last year, and the number of cases (15) increased by 3.3 times.

The main smuggling attempt routes included international mail (25 cases, 51%), express cargo (20 cases, 41%), and air traveler carry-ons (4 cases, 8%).

In particular, the total weight of narcotics seized (72 kg) is enough for simultaneous use by 2.15 million people and is estimated to be sufficient to addict 130,000 people.

Han Chang-ryeong, Director of the Investigation Bureau at the Korea Customs Service, said, “This crackdown confirmed that joint crackdowns between the customs authorities of the narcotics supply country (Thailand) and the consumer country (Korea) are an effective means to block narcotics smuggling. The Korea Customs Service plans to further strengthen narcotics smuggling crackdowns by expanding joint crackdowns with narcotics supply countries, enhancing overseas narcotics intelligence collection capabilities, and reinforcing narcotics investigation equipment.”

Meanwhile, on the 18th, Korean and Thai customs authorities held a ‘Narcotics Crackdown Officials Meeting’ in Thailand to share and analyze the results of the first and second joint crackdowns.

Additionally, both customs authorities agreed to transition the previously temporary special joint crackdown system to a ‘permanent joint crackdown system’ and mutually agreed on dispatching Korean Customs Service intelligence officers to work at the Thai Customs Department.

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