This file photo, provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 30, 2023, shows a variety of drugs seized in recent police crackdowns at entertainment establishments in southern Seoul.(Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The amount of drugs seized before being smuggled into South Korea jumped 30 percent on-year during the first nine months of 2023, the customs agency said Tuesday.
The number of smuggling attempts fell 11 percent to 501 cases during the cited period, but the average volume involved in each case has risen sharply, it added.
The growth in drug smuggling came as South Korea tightened its border control, coupled with the growing demand for narcotics here and the subsequent rising prices, the KCS said.
Of the total, 49.3 percent, or 243 kg, was carried out through international mail, followed by express cargo involving 136 kg and air travelers with 102 kg.
By type, methamphetamine accounted for 49.9 percent of all the drugs seized, followed by hemp at 24.3 percent and ketamine at 6.3 percent.
By origin, Thailand accounted for 24.9 percent of the volume, or 123 kg, followed by the United States with 23.53 percent, Laos with 9.53 percent and Vietnam with 7.1 percent, the data showed.
In an effort to combat illegal narcotics trading, the agency decided to launch a special task force and devise stronger countermeasures.
“The agency plans to more than double the number of air travelers to come under drug checks,” an agency official said. “We will also expand the use of full-body scanners and employ other methods, while strengthening international cooperation with such nations as Thailand and the Netherlands.”
(Yonhap)
