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Two foreign models sentenced to 11 years for drug smuggling attempt

Published: 01 Feb. 2026, 13:24 Updated: 01 Feb. 2026, 16:19

A drug-sniffing dog conducts detection activities during a campaign to curb drug smuggling at Incheon International Airport on Dec. 22, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Two foreign models were sentenced to 11 years in prison each by a Korean court for attempting to smuggle a large quantity of methamphetamine into Korea, legal sources said Sunday.

The two men attempted to bring two suitcases containing a total of 15.3 kilograms (34 pounds) of methamphetamine into Korea through Gimhae International Airport at around 1:30 p.m. on July 16, 2025, according to prosecutors. Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at more than 3 billion won ($2.1 million).

The men, a German national and a Spanish national, had collected the suitcases two days earlier near their hotel in Toronto, Canada. They checked the luggage in at Toronto Pearson International Airport and traveled to Korea via Hong Kong International Airport, prosecutors said.

Customs officials detected the drugs during inspection at Gimhae Airport, leaving the smuggling attempt incomplete.

The defendants had received the offer about a month earlier, on June 20, 2025, through an online messaging service from an unidentified individual while they were in Germany, according to the prosecution. The person proposed providing travel expenses and compensation in return for delivering two suitcases from Canada to Korea.

Investigators said the men were promised airfare, accommodation and about 20 million won worth of dollar-pegged stablecoin USDT if they succeeded in bringing the luggage into the country.

The Busan District Court's criminal division convicted the two of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and sentenced each to 11 years in prison.

During the trial, the defendants argued that they had responded to social media advertisements offering a free overseas trip and did not know the suitcases contained drugs.

The court rejected that claim, saying the explanations were implausible.

“Despite the large quantity of methamphetamine involved, the defendants stuck to implausible explanations and sought to avoid criminal responsibility,” the judge said. “Given the serious social harm caused by drug crimes, severe punishment is unavoidable.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]