According to the latest news, South Korean police are intensifying their crackdown on the growing trend of drug trafficking involving cryptocurrencies.
Last month, the police arrested 70 suspects in a raid.
According to Seoul Kyungjae, the organization used Telegram chat rooms to advertise their services to drug buyers.
They allegedly sold tokens, including Bitcoin (BTC), as part of their operations.
Details of South Korean Crypto Drug Trafficking
According to South Korean police, the "70-member group" smuggled and distributed various drugs, including methamphetamine (ice), ketamine, and synthetic marijuana.
The police stated that the organization used "raw materials" from Vietnam and operated a temporary laboratory in South Korea, where they "manufactured and stored" finished narcotics.
On June 9, the Gangdong Police Station in eastern Seoul announced that they had charged the gang with violating the Narcotics Control Act.
According to the police, 41 of the gang members have been remanded in custody.
The crime syndicate reportedly began operations in September 2023 and continued selling drugs until June 20 this year.
The organization raised over $4.3 million in profits by selling drugs to buyers who paid with cryptocurrencies.
Process of Arresting South Korean Crypto Drug Traffickers
According to a police spokesperson, the raid was initiated by a tip from a citizen who reported suspicious behavior by a young man in the flower bed of an apartment building.
South Korean authorities took the tip seriously and immediately searched the area, eventually finding a balloon containing white powder.
The police then used CCTV footage from the area to track the individual. "Four days later," they arrested the suspect at an address in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.
South Korean police subsequently seized the suspect's phone, which they used to trace the details of "non-face-to-face transactions," apparently conducted using cryptocurrencies.
This information led to the arrest of a 23-year-old alleged ringleader and a 21-year-old Telegram public chat operator.
Police reported discovering around 2,000 "drug hiding places" belonging to the organization, seizing a total of 40 kilograms of drugs from these locations.
The haul included cannabis resin and other forms of marijuana, including liquid cannabis, as well as MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and PCP (angel dust).
The police also seized Bitcoin and "proceeds" worth over $7,200.
Ongoing Arrests by South Korean Police
Several members of the alleged crypto drug trafficking gang remain at large, including a second suspected "ringleader."
South Korean police believe this individual is currently in the Philippines and have stated that the fugitive is in the process of canceling his passport.
South Korean police are seeking a red notice from Interpol for this "ringleader."
Additionally, another suspected operator of a Telegram drug sales channel remains at large in South Korea.
Telegram as the Main Platform for Crypto Drug Deals
This year, South Korean media have expressed alarm over the rapid rise in "drug contamination," with crypto-driven drug-related deaths occurring nationwide.
According to South Korean media, Korean-language Telegram channels have become "crypto drug department stores" for teenagers and people in their twenties.
A quick search for common Korean drugs on Telegram and X (Twitter) reveals hundreds of results. Most drug dealers guide users to open chat rooms on Telegram, where they appear to offer "nationwide delivery" of drugs.
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