Coast Guard Headquarters Hosts International Conference on Maritime Drug Crime Investigation: "Strengthening Global Cooperation"

The Korea Coast Guard will hold the "Maritime Narcotics International Conference (M-NIC)" from the 30th of this month to the 1st of next month at the Incheon Kyungwonjae Ambassador Hotel to strengthen international cooperation in response to drug-related crimes.

The conference will be attended by over 100 participants, including maritime narcotics investigation agencies from 11 countries such as the United States, Colombia, and Ecuador, international organizations including UBODC, as well as domestic prosecutors, police, and customs officials.

Under the theme of "Global Cooperation to Solve Maritime Narcotics Crimes," presentations and discussions will be held on global drug trends, country-specific measures to counter maritime drug smuggling, and information on new types of drugs.

Kim Jong-wook, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, stated, "Taking this international conference as an opportunity, we will strengthen information exchange on increasingly transnational and sophisticated drug crimes, lead the establishment of an international cooperative investigation system, and actively respond to maritime narcotics crimes."

Osangkwon, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, and officials from maritime drug crime investigation agencies of 11 countries are taking a commemorative photo at the "International Conference on Maritime Drug Crime Investigation" held on the 30th.
[Photo by Korea Coast Guard]

Last year, the Korea Coast Guard arrested 461 individuals involved in maritime drug-related crimes, an increase of about 57% compared to 294 in 2022.

This August, the Coast Guard apprehended a group that smuggled liquid narcotics worth 180 billion won from overseas and processed them into solid form at a factory in Gangwon Province for distribution. The seized cocaine was enough for 2 million people to use simultaneously, making it the largest quantity of cocaine ever seized while being distributed and stored domestically.

Additionally, in January 2021, the Coast Guard seized 35 kg of cocaine?enough for 1 million people to use simultaneously?on a Liberia-flagged container ship that arrived at Busan New Port. Earlier, in August 2019, 100.764 kg of cocaine worth approximately 300 billion won was confiscated from a Hong Kong-flagged coal cargo ship attempting to enter Taean Port, Chungnam Province. This amount was enough for 3.3 million people to use simultaneously.

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