"Why Are the Legs So Thick?"... Drugs Found Hidden in Underwear

Recently, drug-related crimes among teenagers have emerged as a social issue, and with the resumption of international flights that had been reduced due to COVID-19, drugs have been repeatedly seized at Gimhae International Airport.

According to the Busan District Prosecutors' Office on the 14th, two people in their 30s who arrived at Gimhae Airport on the 25th of last month were caught by customs for hiding drugs in their groin area, Yonhap News reported on the same day.

The police are explaining the method of smuggling methamphetamine through the airport.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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On the 25th of last month, they entered the airport arrival hall with 1 kg of methamphetamine and 239 ecstasy pills obtained from Thailand attached to the groin area inside their pants, and were caught during an inspection.

Two days later, on the 27th of last month, another person in their 30s was caught hiding about 700 g of methamphetamine in their underwear from Thailand. Those arrested on the spot are currently in custody. The prosecution is expected to indict them soon.

A similar case occurred a month earlier. On February 27th, three Malaysians attempting to secretly bring in 7 kg of methamphetamine at Gimhae Airport were caught on site.

Moreover, at the end of last year, the largest drug bust at Gimhae Airport took place. At that time, three Thai nationals hid 19,369 yaba pills (worth about 1.9 billion KRW) in the back pockets of nine pairs of jeans and in handbags. They were later caught during baggage inspection at Gimhae Airport while entering with the pills packed in travel bags. Yaba is known as a "composite drug" containing various hallucinogenic substances such as methamphetamine, caffeine, codeine, and sugar.

Recently, it has been reported that drug offenders are frequently caught at Gimhae Airport compared to other regional airports.

There are also concerns that drug offenders are flocking to Gimhae Airport, which had suspended international flights for a while after COVID-19, because it is perceived to have looser inspections compared to Incheon Airport.

In particular, Gimhae Airport has more international routes compared to other regional airports, and a large proportion of these international routes are to Southeast Asian countries, which are high-risk countries for drugs.

Accordingly, the drug investigation authorities at Gimhae International Airport are focusing on investigating drug smuggling cases, and the Korea Customs Service at Gimhae Airport has strengthened related crackdowns by forming a dedicated risk management organization composed of experts in passenger and cargo fields.

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