Drug trafficking attempts into Korea rise more than 20 percent, customs agency says
Published: 21 Jan. 2025, 16:05
![Police show confiscated drugs imported from overseas at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in western Seoul last month. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/21/6a34c528-c028-4eea-a761-72b3a70a5b1d.jpg)
Police show confiscated drugs imported from overseas at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in western Seoul last month. [YONHAP]
The number of drug trafficking attempts into Korea rose more than 20 percent from a year earlier, the customs agency said Tuesday.
Authorities intercepted an average of 2.3 drug trafficking cases daily in 2024, reflecting a 22 percent rise compared to the previous year, according to the Korea Customs Service.
In total, 862 trafficking cases, involving a combined 787 kilograms (1,735 pounds) of drugs, were detected last year, the agency said. The seized amount is estimated to be sufficient to supply 26 million people simultaneously.
The volume of confiscated drugs has steadily increased in recent years, with 469 kilograms seized in 2021, 624 kilograms in 2022 and 769 kilograms in 2023.
Since October 2023, the agency has been operating a special task force to coordinate drug enforcement efforts across its headquarters and regional offices nationwide.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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