Drug Suspect Who Distributed Drugs in Korea While on the Run Overseas for 8 Years Caught Through International Cooperation

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit Transfers Suspect to Prosecutors' Office in Custody
"Mobilizing All International Cooperation Capabilities Against Cross-Border Drug Crimes"

A drug offender who had spent years on the run overseas has been apprehended through international cooperation between the police and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

On October 22, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit of the Wide-Area Investigation Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had transferred Suspect A to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in custody on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Investigators found that A left the country in March 2018 after committing rental deposit fraud in South Korea and spent eight years moving between Thailand and Laos to evade capture while distributing drugs. A had previously been wanted in connection with multiple criminal cases, including drug offenses and fraud.

A is suspected of planning to distribute cannabis in May 2025 at the suggestion of B, a drug dealer he had met in Thailand, and of purchasing 3 kg of cannabis smuggled into Incheon International Airport through B's associates. A is also suspected of selling some of the cannabis he purchased to acquaintances in Busan through C, a senior acquaintance from his hometown, and D, his older brother.

In June 2025, police arrested C and D, who had stored and distributed the cannabis on A's instructions, and seized 2.5 kg of cannabis worth KRW 375 million on the street. The amount could be smoked by approximately 5,000 people at the same time.

C and D were sentenced to prison and are serving their terms. B, the South Korean drug dealer who proposed the crime to A, was arrested in Thailand in March 2026 on suspicion of possessing ketamine and is standing trial.

Working with Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and Immigration Bureau, the police and NIS secured A in a joint operation in Phuket, Thailand, on August 12, 2026. After coordinating the repatriation schedule through a police liaison officer, authorities decided to deport him.

The Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit and the International Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Wide-Area Investigation Division received the deportation schedule from the Korean National Police Agency's International Cooperation Division and dispatched an investigation team to Thailand.

On October 15, police arrested A aboard a Korean-flagged aircraft and escorted him to South Korea, then requested a detention warrant. On October 17, a judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant, citing concerns that A might flee.

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said, "This case reaffirms that even criminals who commit serious offenses such as drug crimes overseas or flee to avoid punishment will be tracked down and apprehended through close cooperation among agencies at home and abroad." The official added, "We will continue to mobilize all our international cooperation capabilities to respond firmly to drug crimes that cross national borders."

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