Caught a Vehicle with a Fake License Plate... Foreigners Arrested One After Another for Drug Sales and Use

No Driver Movement Records Lead to Police Investigation
Ulsan Police Identify Six Foreigners Owning Illegal Vehicles
Intricately Forged License Plates Purchased via SNS

Amid a series of crackdowns on ghost cars equipped with counterfeit license plates so sophisticated they are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, it has been revealed that the gang was also involved in drug use, causing shock.

The Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 13th that they arrested 26 Thai nationals, including a man in his 30s identified as A, on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and the Automobile Management Act, and detained four of them.

Seized Fake License Plates
Photo by Ulsan Police Agency

A is accused of operating ghost vehicles with forged license plates and repeatedly using narcotics. The crime was uncovered when A was caught by an unmanned traffic enforcement camera in Ulsan last August for running a red light while driving a ghost car.

The counterfeit license plates A attached were so sophisticated that, unlike the crude past versions which were just paper or stickers with numbers, they matched the real ones in material and form, making them nearly impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.

Following this, the police expanded their investigation and confirmed that the fake license plates were distributed through SNS at a price of 450,000 won each, verifying their production and distribution.

Habitual Use of Thai Methamphetamine 'Yaba' Also Revealed

During the investigation, it was also revealed that Mr. A habitually used 'Yaba,' a Thai narcotic. The police, based on the statements of Mr. A and other suspects and through additional investigations, arrested 20 more individuals involved in selling and using narcotics in the Ulsan, Yangsan, and Daegu areas.
[Photo by Ulsan Police Agency]

A’s criminal activities did not stop there. The industrial complex where A works is home to many foreigners, and during a police stakeout, five more individuals operating ghost cars with canceled or stolen license plates were arrested.

During the investigation, it was also revealed that A habitually used 'Yaba,' a Thai methamphetamine. Based on statements from A and other suspects and further investigations, the police arrested 20 additional people involved in selling and using narcotics in the Ulsan, Yangsan, and Daegu areas.

All but one of these individuals are reported to be undocumented immigrants. Among them, four who acted as drug dealers were detained, and 13 doses of narcotics along with counterfeit license plates were seized.

The police are currently investigating the production and import routes of the forged license plates purchased by A. The drugs are believed to have been smuggled in from abroad, and the investigation is ongoing to determine if there are more suppliers.

An official from the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "The problem is that counterfeit license plates, created by randomly combining numbers, can be easily purchased through SNS and other channels," adding, "Ghost car accidents are more serious because compensation for damages is difficult, which can lead to innocent victims."

He continued, "We will expand investigations not only into the domestic smuggling routes of Yaba and the suppliers but also into the distribution channels of illegal license plates and ghost vehicles."

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