President Lee Praises NIS's Thai Drug Base Raid as "A New Face of Korea's National Intelligence Service"

On June 10, President Lee Jae-myung praised the National Intelligence Service for conducting a joint raid with Thai authorities on a local storage facility for drug precursor chemicals, describing it as "a new face of the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea." This highlights the utilization of overseas intelligence agencies’ capabilities in responding to transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and signals a shift in the agency’s role.

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a greeting at a dinner meeting with overseas Koreans held at a hotel in Brussels, Belgium on the 9th (local time). 2026.6.10 Yonhap News Agency

On the same day, President Lee shared a news report about the National Intelligence Service’s crackdown on a major drug hub in Thailand via X (formerly Twitter), stating, "A sharp blade can either harm or save, depending on how it is used." His remarks suggest that while the agency’s considerable authority and capabilities have at times sparked political controversy in the past, they can lead to national achievements when applied to public safety and the fight against international crime.

The National Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) of Thailand, raided 10 storage facilities for drug precursor chemicals in Bangkok and other locations the day before. During the operation, they confiscated a total of 49.98 tons of chemicals, including acetone, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid, all of which can be used in drug manufacturing.

According to the National Intelligence Service, if all the seized precursors were used for drug production, they could yield 21 tons of methamphetamine or 1.1 billion tablets of the new drug known as 'yaba.' This is enough for 700 million people to take it simultaneously, and the estimated street value of the finished products could reach approximately 8.4 trillion won.

This operation is particularly significant as it marks the first time a government agency has directly cracked down on an overseas drug supply base. Moving beyond the previous focus on detection and punishment after drugs entered the country, the authorities have now intercepted drug precursors at the stage of international supply chains. Given that Southeast Asia has long been identified as a major hub for international drug production and distribution, this underscores the growing importance of preemptive action through cooperation among intelligence agencies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.