Korean police, Interpol seize $1B in drugs, nab 29 offenders in Golden Triangle operation

The Korean police, in cooperation with Interpol, arrested 29 drug offenders throughout Southeast Asia and seized drugs worth 1.4 trillion won ($1.04 billion).

Drugs, including meth and ecstasy, seized by investigators between September 2022 and March 2023 [YONHAP]

The Korean police, in cooperation with Interpol, arrested 29 drug offenders throughout Southeast Asia and seized drugs worth 1.4 trillion won ($1.04 billion).

The Korean National Police Agency announced on Wednesday that it had successfully carried out "Operation Lionfish-Mayag II" with Interpol in the Golden Triangle, a border region between Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. The region is a major production area for drugs entering Korea. The operation took place over 16 days, from July 22 to Aug. 7.

The operation's name combines "Lionfish," the first drug operation carried out by Interpol in 2013, and "Project Mayag," a joint operation between Korea and Interpol that started in 2023.

A total of seven countries, including Korea, the United States, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Australia, participated in this operation. Among the seized items was 1.5 tons of ketamine, confirming that the Golden Triangle is a major source of ketamine in the international drug market.

The Korean National Police Agency exchanged information in real-time with participating countries during the operation, leading to the arrest of a key suspect in Thailand who was supplying drugs to Korea. They are also conducting joint investigations into incidents such as smuggling 16 kilograms (35.2 pounds) of methamphetamine disguised as commercial food.

“Drug crimes cause severe damage to people’s daily lives,” said an official from the police agency. “We will continue to expand international cooperation, particularly in Southeast Asia, a major source of drugs distributed domestically."

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]