In the first quarter of this year, the number of people caught for domestic narcotics offenses hit an all-time high. People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 60% of all narcotics offenders, and offenders in their teens increased by about 60% in a year. With foreigners, supply offenders, and seizure volumes all rising, analysts say drug crimes are spreading beyond simple use to focus on international smuggling and distribution networks.
However, ahead of the abolition of the Prosecution Service in Oct., there is growing concern over whether the prosecution's drug investigation capabilities, built up over decades, will be properly maintained under the new investigative system. Inside and outside the prosecution, voices are calling for a dedicated body specializing in narcotics crimes, as drug smuggling and international cooperation investigations are becoming increasingly important.
◇ Six out of 10 drug offenders are in their 20s and 30s… teens also surge 60%
According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's monthly narcotics trends on the 26th, the number of people caught for narcotics offenses in the first quarter of this year totaled 5,222. It is the highest first-quarter figure on record. It rose 12.1% from 4,658 in the same period last year. The number arrested also jumped 20.6%, from 602 to 726.
By age, those in their 30s were the most with 1,672, accounting for 32% of the total. They were followed by those in their 20s (1,460, 28.0%), 40s (906, 17.3%), 50s (547, 10.5%), and 60s and older (301, 5.8%).
The increase among teenage narcotics offenders was also notable. Teenage narcotics offenders rose 60.7% to 188 in the first quarter of this year from 117 in the first quarter of last year. In particular, offenders under age 15 numbered 12, a fourfold increase from three in the same period last year. Those ages 15–18 totaled 115, and those age 19 totaled 61.
Foreign narcotics offenders are also rising rapidly. In the first quarter of this year, foreign narcotics offenders totaled 829, up 47.8% from 561 in the first quarter of last year. The figure far exceeds the overall growth rate of narcotics offenders of 12.1%. By nationality, China had the most with 235, followed by Thailand with 188 and Vietnam with 137.
Supply offenders also increased. During the same period, users decreased from 2,070 to 1,923, but supply offenders—including illicit manufacture, smuggling, and trafficking—rose 4.9% from 1,415 to 1,484. Possession offenders also increased 41.0%, from 317 to 447. Narcotics seized in the first quarter of this year totaled 825.7 kilograms, more than 3.3 times the 247.7 kilograms in the first quarter of last year.
◇ Concerns over gaps in drug investigations after the abolition of the Prosecution Service
As narcotics crimes spread among younger people, foreigners, and supply networks, concerns are emerging inside and outside the prosecution that drug investigations could face gaps after the Prosecution Service is abolished in Oct. Both the police and the prosecution have accumulated significant investigative experience in narcotics supply and smuggling cases.
Last year, the prosecution directly cracked down on 2,294 narcotics supply offenders, accounting for 33.8% of the total 6,777 supply offenders. The narcotics seized by the prosecution totaled 516 kilograms, or 45% of the overall 1,156 kilograms seized. Since 1996, the prosecution has separately hired narcotics investigators dedicated solely to drug investigations, building an investigative system specialized in narcotics smuggling and distribution crimes.
The issue is what happens after the Prosecution Service is abolished. Under the government reorganization, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency is set to take over drug investigations, but observers note that if existing prosecution personnel do not move sufficiently to the new agency, it will be hard to carry forward the investigative know-how accumulated to date. The joint investigative system on drug crimes, for which the prosecution currently serves as the control tower, also lacks clear follow-up operating plans.
It is also unclear how certain narcotics smuggling investigation methods designed on the premise of prosecutorial authority will operate going forward. A representative example is the "controlled delivery investigation." In a controlled delivery, when narcotics smuggled into the country from overseas via international mail are caught by customs, the actual delivery process is carried out to identify the final recipient, who is then arrested on the spot. Under the current Narcotics Trafficking Prevention Act, prosecutors are designated as entities that can request customs to release suspected narcotics items.
A prosecution official with drug investigation experience said, "In many narcotics cases, compulsory measures are needed, so swift investigative judgments are important, and in not a few cases the full extent of the crime emerges during trial," adding, "This is a crime where linking investigation and trial is crucial, and mechanically separating investigation and indictment could weaken the response."
◇ "A dedicated body is needed to respond to international drug smuggling"
Inside and outside the prosecution, some argue that a separate dedicated body is needed to maintain the capability to respond to narcotics crimes. As with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) or Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), they say expertise should be sustained through an organization dedicated to collecting intelligence and conducting investigations into narcotics distribution and smuggling.
In particular, many point out that maintaining international cooperation capabilities is crucial, as a significant portion of the narcotics distributed domestically is smuggled from overseas. Narcotics supply chains are connected through overseas manufacturing and transport groups, domestic distributors, online sales networks, and users, making it difficult to eradicate the problem by cracking down on users alone.
A prosecution official said, "Since most narcotics distributed domestically are smuggled from overseas, cooperation with foreign investigative agencies such as the DEA is essential," adding, "Even after the Prosecution Service is abolished, a specialized agency must oversee international cooperation on drug crimes and supply chain investigations."