Smuggling Epidemic: Customs Seizures Skyrocket 11-Fold in a Decade – Navigating the Risks with Bridge Economy
Drug Smuggling on the Rise Despite Customs Crackdown
Despite the Customs Service’s strong drug crackdown, large-scale drug smuggling has increased, and the number of drug seizures by Customs has increased 11-fold over the past 10 years.
According to data obtained from the Korea Customs Service by Representative Oh Ki-hyung of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the Planning and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, on the 18th, compared to 2014, the number of drug seizures increased in 2023 by 2.3 times, and the weight of seized drugs increased 10.7 times.
In 2014, the total number of detections was 308, the detection weight was 71 kg, and the average detection amount per case was about 0.2 kg, but in 2023, the number of detections was 704, the detection weight was 769 kg, and the average detection amount per case increased to 1.1 kg.
While the number of robberies increased by 2.3 times, the number of arrests per case increased by 5.5 times, indicating a rapid expansion of drug smuggling.
Compared to 2014, the number of seizures by drug type in 2023 increased 945.3 times for cocaine, 42 times for marijuana, and 8.6 times for methamphetamine.
In February last year, the Korea Customs Service raised the maximum drug smuggling reward from 150 million won to 300 million won to encourage reporting of smuggling, but the reporting reward rate dropped from 54% in 2020 to 15% last year. It was analyzed that the actual drug detection rate decreased as the number of reports increased.
Rep. Oh said, ”As the level of drug smuggling is accelerating, with more than one case per day, with an average of about 1 kg caught per case, we need to find ways to strengthen public-private cooperation, such as effectively managing the smuggling reporting system.”
Reporter Kwon Saena saena@viva100.com