Drug ring referred to prosecutors for using ‘buried stash’ smuggling method

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Drug ring referred to prosecutors for using ‘buried stash’ smuggling method

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI


Seoul’s Gangnam Police Precinct [YONHAP]

Seoul’s Gangnam Police Precinct [YONHAP]

 
Members of a drug ring in Korea have been referred to prosecutors on charges of smuggling and distributing methamphetamine, ketamine and other narcotics through a method known as the “buried stash” technique.
 
Seoul’s Gangnam Police Precinct announced on Sunday that two men in their 30s and 40s were detained and transferred to prosecutors on June 5 on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Four men in their 20s, who acted as middlemen in the distribution network, were also apprehended — three were detained, while one was released without detention.
 

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The two ringleaders allegedly smuggled the drugs into Korea by hiding pouches of narcotics inside dried fruit packages shipped from Vietnam via international air courier. Once in Korea, the drugs were divided into smaller quantities and distributed for sale.
 
The ringleaders would bury around 100 grams (3.52 ounces) of drugs at a time under lampposts or trees in parks around the Seoul metropolitan area. The middlemen would then retrieve the buried drugs and divide them further for sale.
 
This “buried stash” method is an evolved version of the "drop" technique, where sellers leave drugs in a specific location to be retrieved later by buyers.  
 
While the drop method is typically used in final-stage retail sales, the buried stash method is employed earlier in the distribution process. It is considered less susceptible to theft and better at evading surveillance cameras, allowing for the bulk movement of narcotics.
 
Police dig out a bundle of drugs hidden using the ″buried stash″ method. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Police dig out a bundle of drugs hidden using the ″buried stash″ method. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

 
Gangnam police launched the investigation in March after receiving a tip from a citizen who said they had received a message via Telegram advertising drugs for sale.
 
Using Telegram ID tracking and two months of CCTV analysis around the Seoul region, police discovered buried drugs in three neighborhood parks, including in Gangnam. Following the trail of those involved, they arrested four middlemen and later apprehended the two main suspects.
 
“We are continuing to track down accomplices involved in the overseas side of the operation,” said a police official.
 
Authorities confiscated 300 grams of methamphetamine, 900 grams of ketamine and 160 ecstasy tablets. Ketamine, sometimes referred to as a "club drug," is a synthetic drug gaining popularity among young people.
 
The volume of ketamine seizures has steadily increased since 2022, according to the Korea Customs Service. Last year, 47 kilograms were seized — a 23 percent increase from the previous year’s 38 kilograms.
 
CCTV footage of the suspects involved in drug distribution, captured in May 2023. [GWANAK POLICE PRECINT]

CCTV footage of the suspects involved in drug distribution, captured in May 2023. [GWANAK POLICE PRECINT]

 
Police have declared a crackdown on the buried stash method. In a major case last year, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Unit arrested 46 people who had distributed 17.6 kilograms of methamphetamine between November and December 2023 in Korea using the same technique.
 
In that case, mid-level distributors placed 100 grams of methamphetamine into plastic containers and buried them in the mountains to pass on to lower-level dealers.
 
A separate bust in September 2023 involving six individuals caught attempting to distribute narcotics worth 8 billion won ($5.86 million) also involved the use of this method.
 
“One doesn’t often encounter cases where drugs are buried underground,” said a Narcotics Crime Unit official. “Because the drop method has become well-known, thefts by people targeting those drops have become more common. That’s why these dealers are turning to burying their supplies.”


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH SO-YEONG [[email protected]]
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