Top court upholds prison sentences for perpetrators of drug-laced drink scheme targeting students

Social Affairs

Top court upholds prison sentences for perpetrators of drug-laced drink scheme targeting students

Published: 06 Sep. 2024, 12:17

A notice on a door of a private cram school in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul, warns of giveaway drug drinks on April 9 last year. [NEWS1]

The Supreme Court ruled that the perpetrators who handed out drug-laced drinks to students and blackmailed their parents in April last year will serve prison sentences, according to legal sources Friday.

The top court decided to uphold the Seoul High Court’s decision to sentence a 27-year-old surnamed Gil to 18 years in prison on Aug. 1. Gil and his accomplices were indicted by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for violating the Narcotics Control Act in May last year.

Gil’s accomplices also received prison sentences: a 40-year-old surnamed Kim was sentenced to 10 years, a 37-year-old surnamed Park received 10 years and a 42-year-old surnamed Lee was sentenced to seven years.

Gil, a Korean national, is accused of producing approximately 100 bottles of drugged drinks by mixing milk and methamphetamines. Gil received a total of 10 grams of meth from Park, which was dropped off and picked up from a designated location. The drinks were then distributed to four part-time workers, who delivered them to students in the cram school-dense area of Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on April 3 last year.

At least 13 minors received the drinks labeled as “Mega ADHD,” which were falsely marketed as enhancing concentration and memory. According to the prosecution, nine people consumed the drug-laced drinks, and six of them reportedly experienced hallucinations.

The suspects collaborated with a voice phishing organization based in China to blackmail the parents of the students who consumed the drugged drinks. They threatened the parents with police reports for drug use unless they paid money.

Kim used a phone number-changing repeater and SIM cards to disguise calls from China as calls from Korea. None of the parents sent money to the suspects.

The Supreme Court ruling follows a 14-month trial, which began in May last year. Gil was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Seoul Central District Court but appealed the case. The Seoul High Court then increased his sentence to 18 years on April 30.

A 27-year-old surnamed Lee, who directed the entire scheme from China, was tried separately and sentenced to 23 years in prison in July. He is currently appealing the sentence.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]