"Received 5 Million Won at Once" Secret Part-Time Job of a Woman in Her 20s, Drugs Found in Her Body

Gang Arrested by Police for Smuggling into Korea via Traveler
600g of Methamphetamine Worth 300 Million KRW Hidden on Body

A group smuggling drugs into the country by hiding them in the bodies of female travelers was caught by the police. The women involved in drug smuggling received a reward of 5 million won per trip.

On the 21st, the Geumjeong Police Station and Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced that they had arrested three ringleaders, including Mr. A, on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and sent 18 others, including couriers, sellers, and users, to prosecution without detention.

Woman smuggling drugs and the transporter-seller [Photo by Yonhap News]

Mr. A and his group are accused of smuggling methamphetamine hidden inside the bodies of three female travelers in their 20s arriving from Thailand to Gimhae Airport six times between January and March.

According to the police, the ringleader Mr. A approached three women in their 20s, recruited through acquaintances, promising payment for carrying drugs and attempted smuggling.

During this period, these women entered Gimhae International Airport hiding 600 grams of methamphetamine worth about 300 million won in total, and immediately after arrival, handed the methamphetamine to domestic couriers and sellers. They were paid approximately 5 million won per trip as compensation.

Mr. A’s group divided the smuggled methamphetamine into 1-gram units and distributed it using social media advertisements.

In March, the police began an operation to dismantle the drug distribution organization after arresting domestic couriers and sellers.

A police official said, "During the investigation of one of the suspects, we confirmed the smuggling methods, and after tracking for about three months, we were able to arrest the ringleader."

From March to July this year, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency focused on cracking down on narcotics crimes in the first half of the year, arresting 883 people and detaining 112. Among those arrested, 259 were in their teens and twenties.

The police official added, "Recently, anyone can easily purchase drugs, and various new types of narcotics are spreading. Although it may start out of curiosity, people can unknowingly fall into irreversible addiction, so special caution is required, especially among the younger generation."

Meanwhile, on the 14th, the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency announced that the number of drug offenders arrested during the crackdown from March to July this year exceeded 10,000, a more than 60% increase compared to the same period last year.

By age group, those in their 20s accounted for the largest number at 3,394, followed by those aged 60 and over (2,872), 30s (2,142), and 40s (1,451). Notably, 602 teenagers were arrested, nearly three times more than last year’s 203.

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