Over 10 Billion Won Drug Smuggling and Domestic Distribution Ring Busted... 21 Arrested

Seized Narcotics [Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] A group involved in smuggling drugs worth approximately 11 billion KRW from overseas, distributing them in large quantities, and purchasing them has been arrested en masse by the police.

The Drug Investigation Unit of the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency announced on the 25th that "30-year-old male suspect A and 20 others have been arrested on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and 66 individuals who purchased and used drugs from them have been booked without detention."

Suspect A and others are accused of distributing drugs smuggled from Southeast Asia and other regions nationwide through the 'Dark Web,' which guarantees anonymity and is difficult to trace, from September last year until recently.

According to the police investigation, suspect B and others contacted sellers via SNS connected to the Dark Web, made payments using virtual assets such as Bitcoin, and purchased drugs in a non-face-to-face manner by visiting locations and receiving photos provided by the sellers.

The drug buyers were found to have purchased and used substances like methamphetamine out of curiosity or stress.

The police seized drugs worth approximately 11 billion KRW from suspect A's hideout, including 3.1 kg of methamphetamine, 2,583 ecstasy pills, and 1,380 ml of synthetic cannabis known as a new type of drug. This quantity is enough for about 100,000 people to use simultaneously.

The police also froze criminal proceeds worth about 140 million KRW, including vehicles used in the crime and real estate owned by the suspects.

The police plan to conduct continuous intensive crackdowns on drug sales channels and expand investigations into overseas suppliers.

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