Customs Service Exposes Drug Smuggling Rings Exploiting Consular Aid on Southeast Asia-Europe Route

As overseas drug smuggling syndicates increasingly cover travel expenses to exploit Koreans as couriers, the number of Koreans receiving consular assistance for drug offenses nearly tripled last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited a rise in Koreans being caught moving narcotics from Southeast Asia to Europe as the primary cause of the increased need for consular assistance. Numerous cases have been confirmed where foreigners entice Koreans with airline tickets, travel expenses, and millions of won in fees to act as drug couriers under the guise of carrying luggage.

Analysis of data submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Rep. Kim Jun-hwan of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, revealed that 47 Koreans received consular aid last year for overseas drug smuggling and distribution crimes. By age group, those in their 30s were the most numerous at 23, followed by those in their 40s (16), 20s (13), 50s and 60s (11 each), 70s (5), and 80s (2).

The countries where consular assistance was provided included Cambodia (11), Thailand (10), Japan (9), Laos (8), Vietnam and China (7 each), and Türkiye and the UK (6 each).