A police officer gathers medicine seized from a suspected crime group at a police station in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Could 29. Korea Occasions picture by Shin Yong-ju
The variety of drug trafficking makes an attempt into Korea rose 24 p.c through the first 9 months of 2024 from a 12 months earlier, the customs company stated Monday.
A complete of 623 instances of drug trafficking makes an attempt had been detected within the January-September interval, up from 501 instances from the identical interval final 12 months, in accordance with the Korea Customs Service (KCS).
When it comes to quantity, medicine seized on the border rose 16 p.c on-year to 574 kilograms through the cited interval, the company stated, including the confiscated quantity can be utilized by 19 million individuals on the similar time.
The information signifies that the authorities caught two smuggling instances, or 2.1 kg of medicine, each day within the first 9 months of the 12 months, the KCS famous.
“We have seen an growing variety of small-scale smuggling instances, as extra individuals appeared to have tried to illegally herald medicine for their very own consumption,” an company official stated.
Massive-scale makes an attempt have additionally grown after the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of tighter border management, the official added.
Of the entire instances, 51 p.c had been carried out by means of worldwide mail, adopted by categorical cargo accounting for 25 p.c and air vacationers at 23 p.c.
The variety of drug smuggling makes an attempt by means of worldwide mail, specifically, have surged 41 p.c on-year, although the amount concerned fell 40 p.c because of the marked progress in small-scale smuggling instances, the company stated.
By kind, methamphetamine accounted for 59 p.c of the entire quantity seized, or 338 kg, adopted by cocaine with 11 p.c of the entire and hemp at 8 p.c.
By origin, Thailand topped the record by taking on 41 p.c of the entire quantity, and the USA got here subsequent with 19 p.c.
Medication from Mexico and Malaysia took up 5 p.c every, and people from Canada and the Netherlands accounted for 4 p.c every, the company information confirmed.
“The federal government will strengthen the monitoring system and conduct extra in depth operations to thwart smuggling makes an attempt,” the company stated in a launch. (Yonhap)
