Police arrest trio for smuggling drugs in snack boxes

Social Affairs

Published: 27 Mar. 2023, 17:22 Updated: 27 Mar. 2023, 17:49

Police arrest trio for smuggling drugs in snack boxes

Drugs were hidden in snack boxes and sent to Korea from Hawaii. [THE BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Three people accused of smuggling drugs into Korea from Hawaii by disguising them in snack packages were arrested Monday.

According to the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the three suspects, including a 32-year-old Korean, were arrested for allegedly violating the Narcotics Control Act.

They are accused of bringing 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of drugs, including cocaine and MDMA, or ecstasy, from the United States to Korea between July 2021 and March this year.

Police seized 5.8 kilograms of marijuana, 3,000 pills of ecstasy and 20 grams of cocaine during the investigation.

The seized drugs, enough for 200,000 people, are worth 2 billion won ($1.5 million).

According to police, the suspects vacuum-packaged the drugs, hid them in snack boxes and sent them through international post from Hawaii. They sent the package to an empty house to avoid being detected by the authorities. The purchasers picked up the boxes later.

Police seized 10 kilograms of drugs that were smuggled into Korea since July 2021. [THE BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Police tracked down the 32-year-old living in Hawaii after tracing back a parcel sent to Sasang District, Busan, in July 2021 that police got a hold of before the purchasers could collect it.

The package included snack boxes that contained drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy.

According to police, the suspect used to work at a nightclub in Gangnam, southern Seoul and has been on the wanted list since 2018 for alleged involvement in another drug case.

He had been on the lam in Hawaii ever since but was nabbed upon returning to Korea to renew his passport.

Police have confirmed 50 international posts sent by the 32-year-old, including 10 posts containing drugs. The suspect is refusing to answer how these drugs were obtained, police said.

The authorities believe workers at some 20 clubs in metropolitan cities such as Seoul, Busan and Daegu purchased the drugs.

“Club workers sold ecstasy for 70,000 won to 150,000 won a pill to their customers after purchasing it from the alleged smugglers,” a police officer from the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said.

“The drug purchasers were mostly in their early 20s and used them in club bathrooms.”

Police have apprehended 22 club workers for alleged involvement in drug smuggling and 44 people believed to have used the drugs.

Police are tracking the illegal drug distribution channel in Korea as part of their intensive crackdown on drugs through July.

BY KIM MIN-JU, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]