This file photo provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency shows the drugs seized from offenders in night clubs after detaining 70 suspects and arresting eight on March 30, 2023.
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Police caught over 10,000 drug offenders during an intensive crackdown on drug-related crimes this year, with figures showing a sharp increase in the number of teenage suspects, the police agency said Monday.
Of the 10,316 people caught during the five-month crackdown from March to July, 1,543 people were formally arrested, nearly double the number from last year, according to the National Police Agency.
Police also said 561 people, or 5.4 percent of the total, were teenagers, up 213.4 percent from the same period last year.
Of the total number of drug offenders, 3,065 were apprehended for supplying drugs, including taking part in producing, smuggling or selling drugs, up 87.2 percent from the same period a year ago.
Drug offenders caught at night clubs increased fivefold over a year as the endemic led to freer access to such areas, and the number of foreign drug offenders also increased 55.3 percent, according to the agency.
Police said they seized a total of 52.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than five times the amount collected in the same period last year. They also said 8.5 kg of ketamine and 6 kg of ecstasy were also confiscated.
The number of drug offenders up until July this year totaled 11,629, drawing near the total number of suspects arrested the previous year, police said. Last year, a record number of 12,387 people were arrested for drug-related crimes.
The police plan to continue the crackdown on drug-related crimes during the second half of the year.
(Yonhap)
