Gang Involved in Drug Smuggling from Brazil... Opened 21 Ghost Bank Accounts

A group accused of smuggling drugs from Brazil and distributing them domestically has been brought to trial. It was revealed that they planned to open bank accounts under the name of a shell corporation to use for drug distribution.

On the 7th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office announced that they indicted six people, including the ringleader Mr. A (37, male), on charges of violating the Special Act on the Control of Narcotics (psychotropic substances), the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances), and obstruction of business. Mr. A was brought to trial while in custody.

The police transferred three of them to the prosecution on the 1st of last month on charges of distributing 30g of ketamine, a type of drug, domestically. The prosecution requested the police to transfer Mr. B (43, male), who was confirmed to have participated in the sale and distribution of ketamine. Additionally, during the joint investigation of Mr. A, Mr. B, and others, it was revealed that the ketamine sold was smuggled from a Korean resident in Brazil named 'Carlos,' and that they attempted to smuggle an additional 100g of ketamine for domestic distribution. Ketamine is a type of anesthetic used for medical and veterinary purposes, and there have been cases of death due to overdose. A single dose is 0.05g, so 100g can be administered to 2,000 people.

Furthermore, the prosecution detected that Mr. A recruited three more people and illegally opened a total of 21 bank accounts under the name of shell corporations from July to August. It is known that the dedicated investigation team tracked the bank accounts and other means of criminal proceeds that could be used for ketamine distribution from the early stages of the investigation. The prosecution seized all the bank accounts before they could be used for crimes such as drug distribution, voice phishing, and gambling to prevent illegal fund transactions.

A prosecution official stated, "We will strictly respond to drug-related crimes and ancillary offenses such as opening bank accounts under false names that can be exploited, and we plan to request the court to order the dissolution of the shell corporations that are the account holders. We will do our best to maintain the prosecution so that the defendants receive heavy sentences commensurate with their guilt."

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