Cambodia-Thailand joint enforcement operation. (Korea Customs Service photo)
Customs authorities blocked an attempted smuggling of drugs into South Korea in the first quarter that they said amounted to enough for about 1.81 million people to take at once.
The Korea Customs Service said April 23 that it seized a total of 657 kilograms (1,449 pounds) of narcotics from January through March through joint anti-smuggling operations with customs authorities in Thailand and Cambodia.
The seizures covered 32 cases involving methamphetamine, marijuana, yaba and etomidate, among other drugs, it said.
By country, the agency said its fifth joint operation with Thailand, dubbed TRIDENT, resulted in 28 cases and about 651 kilograms seized, the largest haul in the operation’s history.
Since the first Thailand operation in 2022, cumulative seizures linked to Thailand have reached 184 cases totaling 1,036.9 kilograms, which the agency estimated at about 13.22 million doses. Average monthly case counts have been in double digits in every operation except the first in 2022, when the average was 8.8 cases, it said.
The agency also reported results from cooperation with Cambodia, saying it had worked closely with Cambodian customs since last year to prevent traffickers from shifting routes. In the first joint operation between the two sides, called LIONSTONE, authorities blocked four cases totaling 5.7 kilograms, including methamphetamine and etomidate shipments from Cambodia.
The Korea Customs Service said it will conduct coordinated investigations with partner countries to track supply chains tied to the seized cases. It also plans joint analysis of trafficking routes, concealment methods and overseas sender information obtained during the operations to strengthen border screening systems and keep year-round cooperation channels running.
KCS Commissioner Lee Myeong-gu said cooperation frameworks are now in place with countries around the Golden Triangle, a major drug-producing region. “Through airtight controls, we will ensure not a single grain of drugs crosses South Korea’s border and completely eradicate drug smuggling,” he said.
The Korea Customs Service said April 23 that it seized a total of 657 kilograms (1,449 pounds) of narcotics from January through March through joint anti-smuggling operations with customs authorities in Thailand and Cambodia.
The seizures covered 32 cases involving methamphetamine, marijuana, yaba and etomidate, among other drugs, it said.
By country, the agency said its fifth joint operation with Thailand, dubbed TRIDENT, resulted in 28 cases and about 651 kilograms seized, the largest haul in the operation’s history.
Since the first Thailand operation in 2022, cumulative seizures linked to Thailand have reached 184 cases totaling 1,036.9 kilograms, which the agency estimated at about 13.22 million doses. Average monthly case counts have been in double digits in every operation except the first in 2022, when the average was 8.8 cases, it said.
The agency also reported results from cooperation with Cambodia, saying it had worked closely with Cambodian customs since last year to prevent traffickers from shifting routes. In the first joint operation between the two sides, called LIONSTONE, authorities blocked four cases totaling 5.7 kilograms, including methamphetamine and etomidate shipments from Cambodia.
The Korea Customs Service said it will conduct coordinated investigations with partner countries to track supply chains tied to the seized cases. It also plans joint analysis of trafficking routes, concealment methods and overseas sender information obtained during the operations to strengthen border screening systems and keep year-round cooperation channels running.
KCS Commissioner Lee Myeong-gu said cooperation frameworks are now in place with countries around the Golden Triangle, a major drug-producing region. “Through airtight controls, we will ensure not a single grain of drugs crosses South Korea’s border and completely eradicate drug smuggling,” he said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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