Marine Police Drug Crime Crackdowns Increase Tenfold in Four Years... Need to Reinforce Investigation Personnel

The number of drug-related crimes cracked down by the Coast Guard has increased more than tenfold in four years.

According to data received on the 20th from the Coast Guard by So Byung-hoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gyeonggi Gwangju Gap), the number of drug crimes detected by the Coast Guard last year was 962 cases, which is 10.6 times higher than the 90 cases in 2018 over four years. By year, the numbers were 173 cases in 2019, 412 cases in 2020, 518 cases in 2021, 962 cases last year, and 496 cases as of August this year, showing an increasing trend every year.

By type of crime, illegal cultivation drug offenders were the highest at 1,016 people (65.3%), followed by drug use at 242 people (15.5%), possession at 108 people (6.9%), transportation/ownership and others at 106 people (6.82%), and trafficking at 73 people (4.6%).

Looking at the age groups of the detected drug offenders, those aged 50 and above accounted for 79 people, or 37.4% of the total, followed by those in their 40s (28.4%), 30s (23.2%), and 20s (11%). However, among all drug offenders, only 211 people (13.6%) were detained.

From 2019 to August of this year, the Coast Guard seized 53,974 poppy plants, 500g of methamphetamine, 3,497g of marijuana, 135,000g of cocaine, and 2,024 ecstasy pills.

Representative So said, "In a situation where drug crimes are rapidly increasing, only 26 personnel are assigned to respond to drug crimes within the Coast Guard," adding, "As cases of new types of drugs being produced and distributed are increasing, it is necessary to deploy additional drug investigation personnel in the Coast Guard."

Coast Guard Headquarters Building

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