South Korea sees rise in drug trafficking from Southeast Asia

April 8 (Asia Today) -- South Korean authorities said drug trafficking networks based in Southeast Asia are increasingly targeting the country, drawn by high domestic prices and growing demand.

The National Intelligence Service said it arrested a Thai national identified as a senior figure in an international drug ring at a hotel in Seoul on Monday and deported him to Thailand the following day at the request of Thai authorities.

Officials said the suspect had been involved in distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs across multiple countries over the past 25 years.

Authorities estimate the network handled 11.5 tons of methamphetamine - about 30 times the amount seized in South Korea last year - along with 271 million tablets of yaba and 5 tons of ketamine. The total value of the drugs was estimated at 18.8 trillion won (about $14 billion).

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The intelligence agency said drugs produced in Southeast Asia are entering South Korea through couriers and international mail.

Much of the supply originates from the "Golden Triangle," a region spanning parts of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos that is known as a major global production hub for methamphetamine.

Officials said drug production in Southeast Asia targeting Northeast Asia has been increasing, as traffickers shift routes amid tighter enforcement in their home countries.

South Korea has become a key destination due to its relatively high drug prices, making it an attractive market for foreign criminal networks, authorities said. More than half of drugs seized domestically are believed to originate from Southeast Asia.

Investigators are also working to repatriate additional suspects, including a man in his 60s known as a major distributor based in Cambodia, following the return of another suspect from the Philippines last month.

Authorities said some suspects have continued coordinating drug shipments into South Korea while detained overseas using mobile phones.

Officials cautioned against describing such figures as "drug lords," saying they typically act as high-level distributors rather than controlling the full chain of production and sales.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260409010002638