SEOUL: A Laotian national was arrested for allegedly smuggling 5kg of methamphetamine into South Korea through an express shipment from Thailand, the Korea Customs Service’s Gwangju office said Wednesday (April 15).
The 32-year-old suspect is accused of violating the Narcotics Control Act by importing the drugs in February.
Gwangju customs officials referred the suspect to prosecutors and are tracking down a second suspect, a 31-year-old Laotian national believed to be the ringleader, who has fled overseas.
According to the customs office, authorities first received knowledge from the National Intelligence Service in December that methamphetamine had been detected in a shipment scheduled to be sent from Thailand to South Korea.
They later obtained additional information from prosecutors about a similar smuggling attempt and began analyzing related data. Based on that analysis, authorities identified delivery addresses in Gwangju and Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and conducted surveillance.
In February, they found methamphetamine packed inside snack, chocolate and coffee bags in an express shipment that was due to be delivered to Yongin.
Customs officials then shared information with prosecutors, immigration authorities and the NIS, and jointly carried out an immediate arrest of the suspect while he was receiving a package.
Investigators found that he had been working at a manufacturing plant in South Korea and had agreed to receive the drugs in exchange for money from the alleged ringleader.
“We will continue strengthening cooperation with relevant agencies to block drug smuggling at the source,” a Gwangju customs official said. - The Korea Herald/ANN
