Probably the most surprising thing I learned from this article is that only 2% of freight is inspected coming into South Korea:
An investigator shows bags of methamphetamine, which are part of the 112 kilograms of the drug that the police confiscated, at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Oct. 15, 2018. (Yonhap)
South Korean police said Monday they have busted the largest-ever operation to smuggle drugs into the country, a scheme they say involves Taiwanese and Japanese organized crime rings and Korean dealers.
Six people were arrested in the attempted trafficking of 112 kilograms of methamphetamine, an amount that is enough to be used simultaneously by 3.7 million people, according to police. It is estimated to be worth 370 billion won (US$326.56 million).
Among those arrested were a 25-year-old Taiwanese, a 32-year-old Japanese and a 63-year-old South Korean.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the Taiwanese obtained a screw making machine on a ship at a port in the southeastern coastal city of Busan, which departed from Bangkok on July 6 this year. Concealed inside the machine were 112 bags packed with 1 kilogram of methamphetamine each.
The customs authorities failed to detect the smuggled drug as it was concealed inside the machine and sealed up by welding. Usually, it is almost impossible for the customs authorities to detect drug smuggling attempts at a port, the Korea Customs Service said.
The customs office conducts drug inspections on only 2 percent of freight sent into South Korea and lacks the time to do more. Sniffing dogs are of no use as methamphetamine has no color or smell, according to the office. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but if only 2% of freight is inspected it seems smuggling drugs into South Korea is incredibly easy. Additionally it seems it would be easy for someone to smuggle in imports from North Korea in violation of sanctions which has already happened this year.
Bureaucrats and their parlor tricks… Someone forgot to pay the “carrying charges” (Think Sidney Greenstreet in Casablanca).
Flyingsword
5 years ago
So, in theory all one would have to do is smuggle in 1 kilo of meth and make a nice profit of 3.3 billion won, or $2.9 million. (That seems a bit high but I am not up on the street price of meth in Seoul.)
Perhaps Korean Customs should have left out that part about their inspection rates and how hard it is to inspect sealed machinery….
ChickenHead
5 years ago
“Sniffing dogs are of no use as methamphetamine has no color or smell, according to the office.”
They then added, “…and x-rays can’t go through peanut butter, a penny under your tongue will beat the breathalyzer, and your mom’s not fat.”
Smokes
5 years ago
While only 2% of freight is inspected, 100% of USFK mail is inspected. Keep that in mind for whatever reason you may need to. 😎
Flyingsword
5 years ago
Smokes, good point. Joes get caught on a fairly regular basis trying to have stuff mailed to them. Use to see more stories about that.
On the other hand I think that is why 100% of my mail shows up with the damaged in shipment label on it.
setnaffa
5 years ago
They put the 2% thi g in there to lure foolish waygooks into shipping drugs.
Smokes
5 years ago
Dunno about the damage Sword, when I was at IMCOM-P I went out to the MMT in Incheon a bunch of times and every time a plane came in without fail it pulled up out back, every single item went directly on the belt, through the scanner, and under the doggie noses with 8 – 10 customs bubbas hovering over the process. Wasn’t like they randomly did it on the whole or sampled portions of shipments, it all went through the works like SOP.
Bureaucrats and their parlor tricks… Someone forgot to pay the “carrying charges” (Think Sidney Greenstreet in Casablanca).
So, in theory all one would have to do is smuggle in 1 kilo of meth and make a nice profit of 3.3 billion won, or $2.9 million. (That seems a bit high but I am not up on the street price of meth in Seoul.)
Perhaps Korean Customs should have left out that part about their inspection rates and how hard it is to inspect sealed machinery….
“Sniffing dogs are of no use as methamphetamine has no color or smell, according to the office.”
They then added, “…and x-rays can’t go through peanut butter, a penny under your tongue will beat the breathalyzer, and your mom’s not fat.”
While only 2% of freight is inspected, 100% of USFK mail is inspected. Keep that in mind for whatever reason you may need to. 😎
Smokes, good point. Joes get caught on a fairly regular basis trying to have stuff mailed to them. Use to see more stories about that.
On the other hand I think that is why 100% of my mail shows up with the damaged in shipment label on it.
They put the 2% thi g in there to lure foolish waygooks into shipping drugs.
Dunno about the damage Sword, when I was at IMCOM-P I went out to the MMT in Incheon a bunch of times and every time a plane came in without fail it pulled up out back, every single item went directly on the belt, through the scanner, and under the doggie noses with 8 – 10 customs bubbas hovering over the process. Wasn’t like they randomly did it on the whole or sampled portions of shipments, it all went through the works like SOP.