Almost 1,500 kilograms of drugs seized over last two years: Korea Customs Service

The customs agency said Tuesday it has seized nearly 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds) of drugs before they entered Korea over the past two years.

A total of 1,417 kilograms of drugs were seized at the border between May 2022, when President Yoon Suk Yeol took office, and last month, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

The confiscated amount is enough to be used by 26 million people.

The number of drug trafficking attempts came to 1,459 during the cited period, which means that the agency caught two smuggling cases every day.

During the first four months of this year, the agency seized 184 kilograms of drugs, down 13 percent on-year, though the number of attempts rose 14 percent to 234.

"We've tightened border control, which has led to a recent fall in large-scale smuggling attempts. Our focus will also be on detecting small-scale smuggling cases," an agency official said.

The agency has introduced advanced narcotics detection and identification equipment at major airports and customs offices nationwide.

It plans to designate a new customs inspection section at Incheon International Airport in the first half of this year to conduct screening of all carry-on baggage and check the identities of passengers from major illegal drug producing and transit nations.

The agency will enhance international cooperation against drug trafficking with major nations through information sharing and joint crackdowns.

In 2023, Thailand topped the list by accounting for 24 percent of the total volume seized, or 187 kilograms, followed by the United States with 20 percent, Germany with 12 percent and Laos with 9 percent, government data showed.

Yonhap