A ring that was caught and detained after making methamphetamine out of cold medicine and manufacturing liquid cannabis for e-cigarettes in a metropolitan area neighborhood of dwellings has been sent to trial.
According to the government joint investigation headquarters on drug crimes (the headquarters) on the 3rd, a man in his 20s, identified as A, and a man in his 30s, identified as B, were indicted and detained on charges including violating the Narcotics Control Act.
A is accused of making 58g of methamphetamine at his residence in Paju, Gyeonggi, from Aug. 2024 to May this year using 1,620 tablets of nasal cold medicine and more.
That amount could be administered to about 2,000 people at once, and A is also accused of handing over part of the methamphetamine he made (0.122g) to a drug pickup operative in May.
B is accused of manufacturing 3.9 liters of liquid synthetic cannabis for e-cigarettes and 528g of synthetic cannabis solids at a residence in Osan, Gyeonggi, from May 5 to June 27.
The headquarters said the narcotics B handled were worth a total of 335.44 million won, an amount that could be administered up to 4,919 times. He is also accused of concealing 1.2 liters of liquid synthetic cannabis and 6g of synthetic cannabis solids.
The headquarters also determined that B, acting on orders from superiors, committed the crimes and pocketed illegal revenue such as 9.36 million won worth of virtual asset.
A was caught during the pursuit of an overseas drug smuggling case at the Anyang Mail Distribution Center in May, and B was caught during an investigation into a drug distribution ring involving a level-7 city hall public official.
An official at the headquarters said, "They manufactured drugs in areas densely packed with dwellings using methods with a high risk of explosions, fires, and toxic gas," and added, "We will curb drug manufacturing in everyday spaces at an early stage to prevent its spread."