Police Crack Down on Drug Supply Networks... 33.8% Surge in Manufacturing and Smuggling Arrests

Reward Bonuses Awarded for Achievements Including Wang-Yeol Park and Byung-Min Choi

As the police have aggressively targeted drug supply networks—such as by extraditing and detaining Wang-Yeol Park, known as the 'Telegram Worldwide' drug trafficker—the number of drug offenders apprehended for involvement in production and smuggling has risen by more than 30%.

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According to the National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency on October 5, a total of 9,530 drug offenders were arrested as of August this year. This is an increase of 5.3% compared to the same period last year, but the breakdown reveals a different picture. Offenders involved in manufacturing and smuggling numbered 174, marking a 33.8% increase, while those involved in sales reached 3,396 (a 6.6% rise), and offenders involved with medical narcotics reached 706 (an 11.9% rise). This reflects the police’s focus on apprehending smugglers and suppliers rather than simply targeting users.

Based on these results, the National Office of Investigation selected 10 teams that achieved outstanding results and awarded them a total of 50 million won in special performance bonuses. Among the top honorees, the Gyeonggi Bukbu Metropolitan Investigation Unit, which investigated Wang-Yeol Park, and the Gyeonggi Nambu Narcotics Investigation Unit, which investigated Byung-Min Choi—the supplier to Park—were recognized as top performers, each receiving 10 million won.

Wang-Yeol Park was repatriated to Korea after being incarcerated in the Philippines over charges of murdering three Koreans. He was the perpetrator who popularized the so-called 'throw-off' method, wherein after receiving payment from buyers, he would inform them of previously hidden drug locations. The police not only apprehended local accomplices who acted as intermediaries but also secured evidence and traced the financial flows, including cryptocurrency transactions. Through relentless investigation, they were able to bring all suspects before the court of law.

Other award-winning achievements included: the designation of Etomidate as a controlled drug following a focused investigation into the illegal use of medical narcotics (by the Seoul Metropolitan Police narcotics unit), and the arrest of unregistered virtual asset exchange operators who laundered drug transaction funds (by the Busan Metropolitan Police narcotics unit) for aiding and abetting the distribution of narcotics.

Given the key role that international collaboration with overseas law enforcement agencies played in the investigations involving Wang-Yeol Park and others, the police plan to host the International Conference on Narcotics (ICON) on November 11–12 to further strengthen international cooperation. They also aim to expand cross-border collaboration through the Asia Narcotics Crime Response Association (ANCRA).

While there is a possibility that the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, set to be established following amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, will take exclusive charge of major drug cases, police investigations are expected to become even more important, given the manpower and expertise required for enforcement and tracking. National Office of Investigation Commissioner Seokki Hong stated, “The changes in the criminal justice system can be a turning point for each investigative agency to enhance its own expertise and improve collaborative frameworks. As the number of drug-related offenders continues to grow, we will approach this as a golden opportunity to eradicate drug crime and will mobilize all available resources in close cooperation with related agencies.”

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