Customs Service-Cambodia 'Cooperation' to Block Narcotics Import Locally

The Korea Customs Service achieved success in blocking the domestic import of narcotics from Cambodia through cooperation with Cambodian authorities.

On the 7th, the Korea Customs Service announced that it had detected approximately 2 kg of drugs being smuggled into Korea at the local level in Cambodia on the 3rd.

The local detection was made possible through international cooperation between the Korea Customs Service and the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia.

Earlier, on the 23rd of last month, following practical cooperation between the customs authorities of both countries, a high-level meeting was held on the 29th with H.E. CHRING Botumrangsay, the Cambodian Ambassador to Korea, to share information on drug smuggling from Cambodia to Korea and to request strengthened inspections of high-risk travelers entering Korea.

This measure was taken in response to the risk level reached, as the amount of narcotics seized attempting to be brought in from Cambodia during January and February exceeded the total amount seized throughout the previous year.

The effect was immediate. On the 3rd, Cambodian customs authorities arrested two Koreans attempting to smuggle drugs to Korea at Phnom Penh Airport.

Ambassador CHRING Botumrangsay stated, “The recent drug seizure was made possible by the strengthened inspections of travelers bound for Korea conducted by Cambodian customs at the request of the Korean side,” and added, “This sets a precedent for exemplary cooperation between the two countries in combating drug smuggling.”

Cooperation with Cambodian customs authorities is expected to play a positive role in blocking the rapidly increasing domestic smuggling of narcotics originating from Cambodia. The annual weight of narcotics seized from Cambodia fluctuated as follows: 8.7 kg in 2019, 4.9 kg in 2020, 6.3 kg in 2021, and 0.6 kg in 2022, before increasing to 10 kg last year. The drop in 2022 is analyzed to be a temporary decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conversely, this year, a total of 10.5 kg was attempted to be smuggled in January and February alone, surpassing the total amount smuggled in the previous year. This indicates a significant increase in narcotics smuggled from Cambodia to Korea.

A Korea Customs Service official said, “International drug smuggling organizations constantly develop new smuggling methods to evade detection,” and added, “To respond efficiently to evolving drug smuggling, the Korea Customs Service plans to expand cooperation countries for drug smuggling crackdowns, strengthen international cooperation levels such as real-time exchange of information on high-risk cargo and travelers with overseas customs authorities, and mutual dispatch of intelligence officers.”

Meanwhile, the Korea Customs Service strengthened its response to drug smuggling from Malaysia through international cooperation with Malaysian customs authorities at the end of last year. This was in response to the situation where the amount of drug smuggling from Malaysia surged more than 12 times compared to the previous year, from 7 kg as of November last year to 89 kg.

At the request of the Korea Customs Service, Malaysian customs authorities have been conducting 100% personal and baggage inspections of all travelers bound for Korea at local airports since December 1st last year. Through this, it has been confirmed that the amount of drug smuggling from Malaysia has significantly decreased until early this year.

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