<‘Bypassing Regional Airports’ Customs Service Takes Action to Prevent Balloon Effect in Drug Crackdown>

Drug smuggling attempts at regional international airports have recently increased significantly. Customs authorities believe this phenomenon is a kind of balloon effect resulting from strengthened crackdowns at Incheon Airport, and plan to intensify drug smuggling inspections at regional international airports.

On the 31st, the Korea Customs Service announced that it held the '2025 3rd Special Task Force Meeting on Drug Smuggling' chaired by Lee Myung-gu, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, at Jeju Customs.

The meeting was organized to discuss measures to respond to the frequent traveler drug smuggling incidents at regional international airports such as Jeju, Gimhae, Daegu, and Cheongju.

Lee Myung-gu, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service (left), visited the X-Ray reading room at Jeju Customs on the 31st to inspect the on-site enforcement situation and encourage the staff. Photo by Korea Customs Service

The number of traveler drug smuggling cases detected by the Korea Customs Service at regional international airports increased from 9 cases totaling 12.8 kg in 2022 to 37 cases totaling 20.9 kg last year. This represents a 311% increase in the number of cases and a 62% increase in weight.

The situation this year is not much different. From January to March this year, 10 cases totaling 19 kg were detected at regional international airports, an increase of 150% in cases and 180% in weight compared to the same period last year (4 cases totaling 6.8 kg).

This is believed to be closely related to the recent strengthening of traveler drug smuggling crackdowns centered on Incheon Airport. A kind of balloon effect is emerging, where smugglers bypass Incheon Airport, where inspections have been intensified, and divert to regional international airports where inspections are expected to be relatively lax.

The increase in the number of travelers using regional international airports due to the COVID-19 endemic also appears to have had some impact. Last year, the total number of inbound travelers at regional international airports reached 10.19 million, recovering to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of 10.45 million in 2019.

Considering this situation, the Korea Customs Service places significant weight on the possibility that drug smuggling through regional international airports will continue to increase and plans to further strengthen drug smuggling crackdowns at these airports.

First, drug detection information and other risk information from airports and ports nationwide will be shared in real time with regional airport customs, and comprehensive inspections of flights from countries with high drug smuggling risks at regional international airports will be expanded.

Additionally, the Korea Customs Service plans to simultaneously expand drug inspection infrastructure and increase field inspection personnel by strengthening the opening and destruction inspections of suspected drug items and personal inspections of suspected drug concealers, as well as installing drug intensive inspection rooms?currently only at Incheon Airport?at regional airport customs.

The drug intensive inspection rooms will be equipped with advanced devices such as ion scanners, Raman spectrometers, and destruction inspection glove boxes.

Lee Myung-gu, Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, said, “A balloon effect of drug smuggling is becoming prominent at regional international airports such as Jeju, Gimhae, Daegu, and Cheongju. The Korea Customs Service will strengthen drug crackdowns centered on regional airport customs to thoroughly block drug smuggling.”

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