[Drug Nation] ④ The Mystery of 'Jeju Ketamine'... "Dispersed from Thailand"

■ Chapter 1. Drugs Have Swept Through Our Society

Oolong Tea Bags Wash Ashore in Jeju, Ketamine Found Inside
Informant Claims "Dispersed at Sea by Thai Organization"
Suspected to Have Drifted North on the Kuroshio Current Since March Last Year

Testimonies have emerged that the ketamine discovered in bulk on the coast of Jeju since September last year, packaged in "oolong tea" wrappers, originated from a dispersal operation in Thailand. It is believed this was the result of the organization supplying ketamine to Korea collapsing after its ringleader died in an accident and key executives were arrested. The drugs, which became difficult to handle, were dumped at sea for disposal—an act that should be seen not as a simple "transportation accident," but as organized destruction of evidence by a drug cartel.

On May 18, a private military and intelligence expert, identified as Mr. J, told The Asia Business Daily, "The ketamine found in oolong tea bags was first dispersed in Thailand," adding, "The ringleader of the organization that produced and supplied the drugs was Korean, and I have confirmed that he died in an accident in the Chiang Saen area of the Golden Triangle during the great flood in August or September 2024."

In November of last year, drugs disguised as tea bags were discovered on the rocky shore of Jocheon-eup, Jeju City. Jeju Regional Coast Guard Headquarters

According to the National Police Agency and the Korea Coast Guard, since September last year, ketamine in tea bags has been found 21 times along the coast of Seogwipo, Jeju. Over eight months, 38 kilograms of drugs have been discovered on Jeju—enough for up to 1.33 million simultaneous doses. Investigative authorities have yet to find any significant leads. There is only speculation that drugs trafficked at sea by Southeast Asian smuggling organizations drifted ashore on ocean currents for unknown reasons.

Mr. J explained that the organization collapsed as key executives were arrested around the time of the ringleader's death. Because only senior members knew the main smuggling routes and lower-level members carried out instructions in a compartmentalized way, it was difficult to rebuild the organization. He said, "Drugs cost hundreds of thousands of won in Korea, but locally, they are available for tens of thousands or even a few thousand won," and added, "Since the smuggling route was unknown, the drugs themselves became a ticking time bomb."

Mr. J identified the supplier extradited from Thailand in November 2024 as a key executive who worked under the deceased ringleader. At the time, the National Police Agency extradited a supplier in his 40s, who had been smuggling ketamine and methamphetamine into Korea from a base in Thailand. This supplier was found to have smuggled drugs via couriers sent by a Telegram-based distributor. Mr. J stated, "This organization controlled a significant share of the ketamine entering Korea," and added, "The supplier extradited at the end of 2024 was a person arrested locally in the summer before the ringleader's death."

This organization produced ketamine in the "KK Crime Compound" in Myanmar and had built storage facilities in the mountainous Chiang Saen area in northern Thailand. Mr. J explained, "When I entered the area early last year, the northern Thailand suppliers were already scattered around Bangkok and the organization was in disarray," and added, "Crucially, during this period, a major earthquake devastated the ketamine production facilities on the Myanmar side beyond repair."

Mr. J's information aligns with the ocean current patterns. Typically, it takes about half a year for lost buoys or debris from Southeast Asia to be found in Jeju or Kyushu, Japan. After being dispersed in February or March last year, the ketamine likely drifted through the South China Sea under the influence of the northeast monsoon, then rode the Taiwan Current northward as the monsoon subsided from April onward. It is presumed that it then traveled rapidly north to Jeju via the Kuroshio Current.

This generally matches the findings sent by Taiwan to Korean investigative authorities regarding the ketamine case. The Taiwanese side responded that "in July last year, a large quantity of similarly packaged drugs was discovered in the southwestern sea of Taiwan and is under investigation." Mr. J explained, "The northward flow of the Taiwan Current is strong in summer," and "since tea bags are light and float, they would have moved faster than typical ocean currents due to wind pressure."

An intelligence official said, "In late summer 2024, northern Thailand suffered its worst flood due to a typhoon," and evaluated, "It is true that the Golden Triangle region, where drug manufacturing facilities are concentrated, was directly hit."

A spokesperson for the Jeju Regional Coast Guard's narcotics investigation unit said, "It is considered quite plausible information," adding, "Even the Taiwanese authorities believe that such large-scale dispersal is unlikely to be for smuggling or transshipment purposes." The spokesperson continued, "We will share this information with the Taiwanese authorities and use it as a reference for our investigation."

Special Reporting Team | Jang Heejun, Oh Jieun, Park Hosu, Lee Jiye, and Park Jaehyun

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