"You're Picking Me Up, Right?" Taxi Driver Who Caught Drug Offender, Perfect Coordination with Police

Suspected 'Throwing' Method After Only Picking Up Items at Destination and Boarding Immediately, Reported to 112 Right Away

Thanks to the quick thinking of a taxi driver who suspected a drug "drop-off" crime due to the suspicious behavior of a passenger, the police were able to apprehend a drug offender. On the 22nd, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's 112 Comprehensive Security Situation Room announced that a 112 report, which seemed to be a misdialed call, was received at 7:08 PM on the 21st. The caller, a taxi driver in his 40s identified as Mr. A, immediately said to 112, "Hey. You're coming to pick me up, right?" and then added, "Your company is at Suwon Station, right?"

At that moment, Sergeant Lee Jun-young of Situation Team 1, who was handling the report, sensed something unusual. He said, "Are you in an emergency situation? Please answer with 'yes' or 'no'." Mr. A replied, "Yes." Sergeant Lee interpreted Mr. A's use of "pick up" as a request for police dispatch and "Suwon Station" as referring to the Maesan Police Substation located in front of Suwon Station. He immediately issued a 'Code 0' (CODE 0 ? the highest level of emergency in the manual). Simultaneously, a 'gongcheong' (all officers jointly listening to the report) was conducted.

Thanks to the quick thinking of a taxi driver who suspected drug "throwing" crimes due to the suspicious behavior of a passenger in the taxi, the police arrested drug offenders.
[Photo by Dongmin Seo, Asia Economy]

Mr. A provided the vehicle number and used the term 'drug' to indicate that a passenger suspected of being a drug offender had boarded the taxi. Concerned about a possible dangerous situation, Sergeant Lee told Mr. A, "There is no need to forcibly apprehend the suspect. If an emergency arises, do not try to confront the suspect; just let them off the taxi. We, the police, will handle it afterward." He then continued the conversation by asking Mr. A to describe the taxi's color using fruit colors and to compare the suspect's clothing color to the weather. The sergeant also requested that the hazard lights be turned on before stopping.

Mr. A drove the taxi toward the Maesan Police Substation in front of Suwon Station and stopped. Police officers who had been on standby through Code 0 immediately arrested the drug offender, Mr. B, in his 30s, after the taxi stopped. Mr. B, a Chinese national, was found to be in possession of 0.6 grams of methamphetamine. Under police interrogation, he confessed that he purchased the drugs via 'WeChat,' the Chinese version of KakaoTalk, and received them through a "drop-off" method (where items are left at a specific location for pickup).

Mr. A told the police, "Originally, Mr. B got into the taxi at Suwon Station and asked to be taken to a multi-family house in Siheung. After arriving, he said, 'Wait a moment,' took something out from the mailbox, got back into the taxi, and asked to go back to Suwon Station." He added, "Suspecting the 'drop-off' method used by drug offenders, which has been reported in the media, I reported it to 112."

Park Ki-sung, head of the 112 Management Team at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, said, "The taxi driver's quick thinking, the thorough response of the report handler, and the prompt action of the police officers at the substation all came together perfectly." He added, "The Gyeonggi Nambu Police 112 Situation Room does not take a single word from callers lightly and responds accordingly." The police have arrested Mr. B on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and are investigating the detailed circumstances of the case.

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