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Global drug bust nets 400 suspects in 18 countries worldwide

Published: 16 Sep. 2025, 17:19 Updated: 16 Sep. 2025, 17:43

The Korean National Police Agency is hosting the International Conference on Narcotics 2025 from Sept. 16 to 17 at the Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo District, western Seoul. [KOREAN NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY]

A global drug bust has netted nearly 400 suspects across 18 countries and synthetic narcotics worth over 9 trillion won ($6.5 billion), in one of Interpol’s largest cross-border crackdowns to date that included Korean police.

The results of the joint crackdown — code-named “Lionfish-Mayag III” — are being discussed at the International Conference on Narcotics (ICON) 2025, hosted by the Korean National Police Agency through Wednesday at the Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo District, western Seoul.

The cross-border operation ran from June 30 to July 11 in Sri Lanka and targeted the distribution of synthetic drugs. Its name combines “Lionfish,” a global drug enforcement initiative first launched by Interpol in 2013, and mayag, the Korean word for narcotics.

Eighteen countries, including Korea, China and the Philippines, took part in the operation, which aimed to dismantle transnational trafficking networks.

During the ICON conference, participants are reviewing the operation’s procedures and discussing ways to bolster international coordination in tackling global drug crime through Interpol partnerships.

Now in its 13th year, the conference was launched in 2010 by the Korean police to encourage information sharing and cooperation among narcotics investigation agencies worldwide.

At last year’s event, Korean authorities led the creation of the Asian narcotics crime response working group, bringing together 15 Asia-Pacific nations, including Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, along with Aseanapol, the regional police cooperation body.

This year’s conference includes delegations from 27 countries, such as the United States, France, Australia and Thailand, along with representatives from Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc). More than 130 domestic and international experts are attending to discuss strategies for countering drug trafficking and smuggling.

“In a time when drug abuse is becoming a serious issue among younger generations, countries and institutions must come together, share experiences and strengthen cooperation,” said Park Woo-hyeon, acting director general of criminal investigation at the National Police Agency, during the opening remarks.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NA UN-CHAE [[email protected]]