Arrests of drug smugglers, manufacturers rise 33.8 pc this year: South Korean Police

Seoul: The number of people arrested in South Korea for drug smuggling and manufacturing rose more than 30 per cent in the first eight months of this year from a year earlier, police said Monday.

The National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the Korean National Police Agency said it arrested 174 people for drug manufacturing and smuggling between January and August, up 33.8 per cent from 130 during the same period last year.

The number of people arrested for dealing drugs also rose 6.6 per cent on-year to 3,396 during the cited period, reports Yonhap news agency.

The total number of people caught for drug-related offences stood at 9,530, up 5.3 per cent from a year earlier. Of the total, 706 people were arrested for offences involving medical drugs, an 11.9 per cent increase from a year earlier.

The police have focused their investigative efforts on cutting off drug supply sources and distribution networks this year.

In a major case, the police repatriated and arrested notorious drug trafficker Park Wang-yeol from the Philippines, who had been imprisoned in the Southeast Asian country on suspicion of killing three South Koreans and is suspected of distributing drugs to buyers in South Korea.

The police identified 6.3 billion won (US$4.69 million) worth of drugs linked to Park, including 12.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as 8.63 billion won worth of criminal proceeds.

They later worked with Thai authorities to arrest and repatriate Choi Byeong-min, a key drug supplier for Park, uncovering 41 additional offences and identifying 6 billion won worth of criminal proceeds, which were seized before indictment.

The NOI said it plans to strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies and foreign counterparts. As part of the efforts, the police agency will hold an international conference on narcotics next month and expand international cooperation.

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