The government said it arrested 23,403 drug offenders over the past year as a result of a special, cross-ministerial crackdown on drug crimes.
The government strengthened crackdowns on online drug transaction and overseas smuggling, while also working to expand infrastructure for addiction treatment and rehabilitation.
The Office for Government Policy Coordination on the 1st announced, together with related ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, the main results of its response to drug crimes.
According to the announcement, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Korean National Police Agency, the Korea Customs Service, the Korea Coast Guard, and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety arrested a total of 23,403 drug offenders last year through the pan-government special crackdown.
Since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, from June last year to April this year, over 10 months, 5,386 people were arrested for online drug crimes, and 3,233 kilograms of drugs were seized at the border stage, both the largest amounts on record for the same period.
The Korean National Police Agency operated a dedicated online drug investigation team and caught 5,386 online drug offenders, up 33% from a year earlier. By focusing crackdowns on nightlife districts such as clubs, newly emerging drugs flowing in from overseas, and medical narcotics, it arrested a total of 12,774 drug offenders.
During the same period, the Korea Customs Service seized 1,181 cases totaling 3,233 kilograms of drugs at the border stage. The seized weight rose 307% from a year earlier.
The government also assessed that it achieved results in cutting off overseas supply chains. The transnational crime special response task force (TF), launched at the end of last year, repatriated to Korea Park Wang-yeol, the key ringleader who brought in large quantities of drugs from the Philippines. After that, through cooperation with Thai authorities, it also extradited to Korea Choi Byung-min, the overseas supplier who provided drugs to Park.
The Government Joint Investigation Headquarters for Drug Crimes, launched in Nov. last year, booked 235 people, including eight organized crime groups, within six months of its launch and arrested 109 of them. The headquarters recently also indicted and detained a smuggler of Japanese-Korean descent, a former yakuza, who used a Thailand-origin vessel to smuggle 636 kilograms of cannabis. The government said the amount is enough for about 1.27 million people to smoke at the same time and is the largest on record among drugs intended for domestic distribution.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety also tightened control over the misuse and abuse of medical narcotics. The agency, together with police and local governments, inspected 86 medical institutions suspected of abusing ADHD medications and propofol, uncovering 44 violations. Of these, 33 were referred for investigation, and 29 institutions were requested for administrative action.
It also busted an organization that illegally distributed 1,600 boxes of the general anesthetic etomidate (160,000 ampoules), arresting six people including the distribution ringleader and detaining the ringleader. A doctor who excessively prescribed appetite suppressants and medical staff who concealed illegal use of propofol were also placed under investigation.
Along with blocking supply, the government is also expanding prevention and treatment systems.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare this year increased the budget to support treatment costs for drug addiction from 720 million won last year to 1.35 billion won. It plans to newly designate Seoul Eunpyeong Hospital and Gyeonggi Icheon Somang Hospital, expanding the number of regional treatment and protection institutions to 11 nationwide and newly training about 80 specialists.
Management of medical narcotics will also be further strengthened. The patient medication history check system, currently applied to fentanyl, ADHD medications, and appetite suppressants, will be expanded to include zolpidem and propofol. Accordingly, physicians will be able to check a patient's past narcotics prescription history before writing a prescription.
Along with this, the government will launch a medication history notification service that informs people of their medical narcotics prescriptions through the Gubbi national secretary service. The measure is intended to prevent identity theft and the misuse and abuse of medical narcotics that can occur without the person's knowledge.
Yoon Chang-ryeol, Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said, "The results in drug response were achieved through cooperation among related ministries," and added, "With many remaining tasks such as strengthening crackdowns by smuggling route, preventing illegal distribution, advancing detection equipment, and reinforcing treatment and rehabilitation systems, we will not let down our guard and will continue a pan-government response."