Police arrest 122 people for allegedly distributing, using meth
Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 15:29
Updated: 11 Nov. 2025, 18:24
![Police found hidden methamphetamine stashes concealed using the “throwing” method in the Mount Dodeok area of Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/e98152ff-f965-4b58-8036-f5138872c8a3.jpg)
Police found hidden methamphetamine stashes concealed using the “throwing” method in the Mount Dodeok area of Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]
Seoul police have arrested 122 people, most of them ethnic Koreans of Chinese nationality, for allegedly distributing and using methamphetamine supplied by a China-based ringleader, officials said on Tuesday.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Precinct's narcotics investigation unit said the suspects worked with a ringleader who sold the drugs through Chinese social media. The suspects then distributed the drugs across the greater Seoul area through the “throwing” method, in which dealers leave drugs in hidden locations for buyers to collect later.
Of the 122 people arrested, 108 are ethnic Koreans of Chinese nationality. Police detained 56 suspects and charged them with violating the Narcotics Control Act and attempted special assault.
One dealer threatened an undercover detective with a kitchen knife after mistaking the officer for a rival gang member. Police seized 1,660 grams (3.7 pounds) of meth worth about 5.5 billion won ($3.7 million), as well as baseball bats and knives. A court ordered the seizure of 29.5 million won in criminal proceeds before indictment.
![Tools seized during the investigation are seen in this photo. One of the distributors allegedly threatened an undercover detective with a knife featuring a red handle. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/9ac0eea9-f71e-45ed-b9a2-f9c5ba810a3a.jpg)
Tools seized during the investigation are seen in this photo. One of the distributors allegedly threatened an undercover detective with a knife featuring a red handle. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]
The ringleader had been deported to China in 2019 after receiving a one-year prison sentence — suspended for two years — from the Suwon District Court for drug-related offenses.
After being deported, the ringleader allegedly directed 56 distributors in Korea to hide about 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds) of meth in mailboxes and other spots across the greater Seoul area between October 2023 and May of this year. Police said the distributors concealed the drugs 3,058 times and reported the locations to the ringleader. Sixty-six buyers allegedly retrieved the drugs from those sites and used them at home.
In 2023, police analyzed surveillance footage to identify 37 suspects, then arrested eight, seizing nine kilograms of meth in the process. Prosecutors indicted nine of them on charges of organizing or participating in a criminal group. Authorities have pursued the ringleader for two years, even requesting an Interpol Red Notice.
![Methamphetamine weighing 202.79 grams and worth approximately 676 million won (around $462,000), is displayed in this photo. It was confiscated from distributors during the investigation. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/431f2709-ff79-4fd3-8f28-77058c3e368a.jpg)
Methamphetamine weighing 202.79 grams and worth approximately 676 million won (around $462,000), is displayed in this photo. It was confiscated from distributors during the investigation. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]
As the investigation closed in, the ringleader reportedly tried to rebuild their domestic network by recruiting distributors, mainly ethnic Koreans from China, who were drawn by promises of quick money.
The dealers used secluded locations — such as mountain areas near temples, fishing sites and parks — to avoid surveillance cameras. One suspect entered Korea illegally by boat before joining the operation.
Police said drug traffickers are increasingly hiding small quantities of narcotics in remote areas to avoid detection.
“Dealers are being treated as disposable [by the ringleader], and anyone caught will face arrest, heavy sentences and the complete confiscation of their criminal proceeds,” an official said.
The police added that “international cooperation has strengthened since the Cambodia case," and that it is “working to swiftly locate and arrest the [ringleader].”
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 LEE AH-MI [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)