South Korean man gets 7 years for international drug smuggling and 'throw-away' distribution

A court has handed down a seven-year prison sentence to a man in his 30s for his involvement in smuggling large amounts of narcotics from abroad and distributing them within South Korea using the 'throw-away' method.

The Ulsan District Court's Criminal Division 11, presided over by Judge Park Dong-gyu, announced the sentence on Tuesday for charges including violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes and the Narcotics Control Act. The court also mandated the confiscation of 5.5 million won from the defendant.

Prosecutors alleged that the defendant, identified as Mr. A, acted as a courier starting in May of the previous year. His role involved receiving drugs smuggled into the country or hiding them in specific locations, then informing accomplices of the drop-off points via photographs.

According to the indictment, Mr. A received approximately 3 kg of methamphetamine, 1.5 kg of ketamine, and 2,008 MDMA pills, valued at about 450 million won, from an individual in Manila, Philippines. Upon returning to South Korea, he placed the bag containing the drugs on a bench in a plaza in Guro District, Seoul, for an accomplice to retrieve.

In the same month, he also hid about 2.96 kg of methamphetamine in a forest near a high school in Busan. Furthermore, he divided and concealed 253g of ketamine in various locations across cities like Busan, Gwangju, and Daegu, with the total value of the hidden drugs estimated at over 310 million won.

In its sentencing, the court acknowledged the defendant's role in drug distribution and international smuggling. However, it also cited his cooperation with the investigation after his arrest, including revealing the locations where the drugs were hidden, and the fact that this was his first offense as mitigating factors.