On February 21, the special investigation team on drug crimes at the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office announced the arrest of three members of a drug smuggling gang. The gang had smuggled methamphetamine worth 165.7 billion won from Thailand into Korea by concealing it in an import and export cargo carrier, or palette. The photo reveals the methamphetamine hidden in a cargo hold. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 6 (Korea Bizwire) – In recent years, the use of new kinds of drugs that can be easily synthesized and made has been on the rise in South Korea. Last year, it was reported that the number of these types of drugs seized by authorities, such as antipsychotics, had increased threefold from the previous year.
Actor Yoo Ah-in is the latest high-profile individual to be linked to the use of new drugs. He was recently suspected of regularly taking propofol and testing positive for marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine, which is classified as a new type of drug.
Data received by Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Kyung-sook from the Korea Customs Service revealed on Saturday that the value of new drugs seized in 2022 surged by 187 percent to 10.8 billion won from the previous year’s 3.8 billion won. The weight of the seizures also increased by 87 percent to 267 kilograms.
The most significant seizures were of synthetic cannabinoids, followed by MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and ketamine. However, while seizures of traditional drugs such as meth and cocaine decreased last year, seizures of new drugs increased.
New drugs refer to psychoactive and temporary drugs other than meth, including MDMA, Rush, zolpidem, and propofol.
Despite a decrease in overall drug seizures last year, with 624 kilograms of drugs seized and 60 billion won confiscated, down 51 percent and 87 percent, respectively, the problem remains severe. The volume of smuggled drugs that have gone undetected is of particular concern.
As smuggling grows in scale, and the types of drugs and distribution channels diversify, it is becoming increasingly challenging for South Korea to maintain its reputation as a drug-free country.
Jerry M. Kim (jerry_kim@koreabizwire.com)
