Illegal drugs caught by authorities jump to 10-year-high in 2014

The amount of methamphetamine caught by the South Korean authorities surged to a 10-year-high in 2014.

The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday that it detected 50.8 kilograms of methamphetamine last year, up 68.2 percent from 2013. Methamphetamine, a potent central nervous system stimulant that is called philopon in Korea, is the most popular form of drugs circulated in South Korea.

The amount, which is enough for 1.68 million drug users, is the largest since 2004. The total amount of illegal drugs caught by the South Korean customs totaled 71.7 kilograms in 308 shipments with a street price of 150 billion won (137.8 million U.S. dollars). Aside from methamphetamine, new kinds of drugs, including synthetic cannabis, accounted for a large portion of the banned substances detected last year, totaling 17.3 kilograms.

The customs authorities attributed the spike in numbers last year to large crime syndicates handling drug trafficking. They caught eight cases of smuggling in 1 kilogram or more of methamphetamine, which accounted for 94 percent of the total amount seized. The KCS also said that there was a surge of cases in which teenagers purchased illegal drugs from overseas websites out of curiosity. It caught 10 teenage smugglers last year, compared with just one in 2013.

“We will stop the smuggling in of new kinds of drugs via international mail and express delivery services and track down to the last those who purchase illegal drugs directly from foreign Internet sites,” a customs official said. The KCS plans to expand its system for cracking down on illegal drug uses in provincial areas. As part of the measure, it plans to set up a drug investigation task force at Gimhae International Airport in the southern port city of Busan.