Home > National > Social Affairs

British couple indicted for manufacturing, attempting to distribute ecstasy in Korea

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 14:48

Police seize materials used to produce ecstasy from an apartment building in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, on Sept. 4. Two British tourists in their 40s were arrested at the scene for allegedly smuggling the ingredients to manufacture and distribute the drug. [GYEONGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE]

Two British nationals have been indicted on charges of manufacturing and attempting to distribute ecstasy in Korea after smuggling in raw ingredients, police said Tuesday.

The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Precinct said it referred a man and a woman in their 40s to prosecutors on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Investigators said the pair produced the drug inside a low-rise apartment building in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang.

Ecstasy, made from the amphetamine-type chemical MDMA, is known to have hallucinogenic effects about three times stronger than methamphetamine.

Police said the pair, who are romantic partners, entered Korea on tourist visas on Aug. 22. They concealed 360 grams (12.7 ounces) of MDMA powder in their luggage, enough to produce about 1,800 tablets.

After spending several days traveling, they checked into an apartment building in a residential neighborhood in Gimhae on Aug. 27. The residence had been rented in advance by a suspected member of a drug trafficking network.

Investigators said the couple used a pill-pressing machine delivered from China and tools purchased locally to manufacture the tablets. They allegedly planned to distribute the drugs in nightlife districts in Busan and South Gyeongsang. Police arrested them on Sept. 4 at the apartment building, seizing 108 ecstasy tablets and 340 grams of raw material.

“Given that this was their first visit to Korea, the amount of raw material they brought in, and the prearranged residence, we believe they are linked to an international drug trafficking organization and are pursuing those higher up in the network," police said.

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 AN DAE-HUN [[email protected]]