The joint prosecution-police investigation team that has been investigating Inspector Baek Hae-ryong's claim of "external pressure on customs drug investigations" said that "the suspicion, which began with a false statement by a drug smuggler, ultimately proved groundless."
The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office's "joint investigation team on alleged external pressure on Incheon Customs' drug investigation" announced interim findings on the 9th and stated accordingly.
The joint team found no evidence that customs officials aided the drug smuggling and dismissed the case. It also dismissed, for lack of evidence, the allegations that the leadership of the Korean National Police Agency and the Korea Customs Service exerted external pressure on the Yeongdeungpo Police Station's drug smuggling case.
The suspicion began when Inspector Baek (then head of the criminal division at the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station) obtained statements in 2023 from Malaysian drug couriers caught by Incheon Customs that "there was assistance from a customs official."
Baek has since expanded the investigation to include customs officials and others, claimed to have faced external pressure from the presidential office, the prosecution, and the police under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and said Baek was demoted to a precinct chief at the Seoul Gangseo Police Station. Recently, Baek has also claimed that the former presidential couple Yoon ran a "drug import business" to raise funds for insurrection.
But the joint team's findings were different. It confirmed that at the on-site interview at Incheon Airport in Sep. 2023, the Malaysian couriers exploited the fact that only a Chinese interpreter was present and coordinated their statements in Malay. They said, "Just act," and "Don't tell the truth, and say you followed me out this way."
In a letter one courier sent to another last year, the team also found: "Regarding customs, I already said I don't remember, but the police officer said there was already a statement so I couldn't change it," adding, "Nothing will happen."
Regarding the dismissal of charges against the leadership of the police and the Korea Customs Service, the joint team explained, "Because the alleged participation of customs officials in drug smuggling itself was not recognized, there was no motive or need to exert external pressure, and no actual involvement or intervention by the presidential office was confirmed."
The joint team searched about 30 locations, including the Korean National Police Agency and Incheon Customs, and forensically examined 46 phones belonging to suspects, but found no records of contact with anyone at the presidential office.
The joint team said, "Due to allegations and speculative reports that differ from objective facts, damage such as defamation of those involved in the case has grown considerably, so we are announcing first the results of investigations into some criminal facts where the investigation has concluded," and added, "We are continuing to investigate allegations of drug smuggling involving the presidential office and the family of Kim Keon-hee, and allegations that the prosecution smoothed over or concealed the investigation."
These interim findings were based only on the investigation by Prosecutor Yoon Guk-kwon's team, one of the two teams currently comprising the joint unit alongside Inspector Baek's team. Inspector Baek, who was dispatched to the joint unit on the order of President Lee Jae-myung, countered in a press release on the interim announcement that "evidence and signs that customs took part in drug smuggling are more than abundant."