Crypto-fueled Drug Trafficking Soaring Across South Korea, Say Prosecutors
A recent report sheds light on the alarming increase of crypto-driven drug trafficking incidents across South Korea. Revealed by South Korean prosecutors, the sharp rise in nationwide drug-related offenses has sent shockwaves through law enforcement agencies.
The Narcotics and Organized Crime Department of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office presented its latest Drug Crime White Paper, as reported by Seoul Kyungjae and Chungcheong Today on June 26. According to the document, an astounding 27,611 individuals faced drug-related charges in the past year, marking a staggering 50.1% surge from the preceding year.
The report highlighted a significant shift in the modus operandi of drug traffickers, attributing the surge to a notable change in trafficking patterns. While traditional drug deals typically involved face-to-face interactions, the contemporary landscape witnesses a preference for remote transactions utilizing anonymity-enhancing tools like cryptocurrency and secure messaging applications.
The majority of these illicit activities are now being conducted through messaging platform Telegram, with dealers often demanding payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). This stark increase represents nearly a sevenfold rise compared to statistics from 2019.
Moreover, the data from the white paper reveals concerning trends, such as a surge in drug-related offenses involving female perpetrators and foreign nationals. Notably, 32% of those apprehended were women, and a total of 3,151 foreign individuals found themselves embroiled in drug crimes during the same period.
Among the pronounced findings was the involvement of smuggling networks, with nationals from Southeast Asia and South Korea collaborating to transport drugs across borders using drug mules.
Despite South Korea’s robust anti-drug policies historically yielding success, the heightened street value of narcotics has enticed individuals to procure drugs from Southeast Asia at lower prices for resale domestically.
Of particular concern is the sharp escalation in teen involvement in crypto-driven drug crimes. From a mere 239 teenage offenders in 2019, the number surged to 1,477 in the latest data, with teenagers constituting a significantly higher proportion of all drug offenders.
Prosecutors highlighted the need for intensified international collaboration with counterparts overseas in a bid to counter the rise of sophisticated drug distribution networks leveraging the anonymity of the dark web, secure encrypted messaging channels, and cryptocurrencies.
Efforts have been made to bolster investigative capabilities, including the establishment of a dedicated Dark Web Investigation Team and enhancing cooperation with domestic cryptocurrency exchanges. Recent interventions have already seen progress, such as the dismantling of a Korean-Vietnamese drug smuggling network by authorities in North Chungcheong Province.
Police in the region confiscated illicit drugs worth over $1 million and made multiple arrests after monitoring Telegram communications, blockchain transactions, and surveillance footage from various locations nationwide.
The province’s law enforcement identified the modus operandi of the gang involved, noting their utilization of international courier services to smuggle drugs from Vietnam and subsequent transactions facilitated through a cryptocurrency agency to evade detection.
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