Drug smugglers buried meth, ketamine in Seoul parks

A drug trafficking ring that smuggled narcotics into South Korea in dried fruit packages and distributed them by burying the drugs in public parks has been referred to prosecutors.

Seoul's Gangnam Police said Monday that two men in their 30s and 40s were sent to the prosecution on June 5 for violating the Narcotics Control Act, including possession and concealment. Four men in their 20s who acted as mid-level distributors were also arrested; three were referred in custody, and one without detention.

Investigators allege the group smuggled drugs into the country from March through late May by concealing them in dried mango pouches delivered by air courier from Vietnam. The ringleaders then repackaged the drugs into 100- to 200-gram portions and buried them near streetlights and trees in parks across the Seoul metropolitan area.

Mid-level distributors dug up the buried packages, repackaged them into smaller quantities, and sold them. This tactic, known as "burying," is a more sophisticated version of the so-called "throwing" method, in which drugs are dropped at designated spots for buyers to retrieve. While throwing is commonly used at the final retail stage, burying is more often employed in mid-level trafficking.

This is not the first time police have uncovered the use of the “burying” method. In June of last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested 46 suspects involved in distributing 17.6 kilograms of methamphetamine using similar tactics. That group buried 100-gram packets in wooded areas before passing them on to lower-level dealers.

The latest investigation began in March after police received a tip that drugs were being distributed via the messaging app Telegram. Officers tracked user accounts by Telegram ID and searched about 30 parks across the Seoul metro area suspected of being transaction sites. In three of those parks, including one in Seoul’s Gangnam district, police seized 300 grams of methamphetamine and 900 grams of ketamine. They also confiscated 160 ecstasy tablets during the arrests.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and includes efforts to track down additional accomplices, including overseas suppliers tied to the smuggling network.


천종현 기자 punch@donga.com