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Cameroonian kingpin, 12 others busted by Korean, Thai police for operating meth ring

Published: 12 Nov. 2025, 15:52

A pistol and ammunition carried by a Cameroonian suspect, identified as the head of an overseas distribution ring, who was apprehended by Thai authorities on Sept. 30. [ANDONG DONGAN POLICE PRECINCT]

A Cameroonian national who sent 36 kilograms (79 lbs) of methamphetamine to Korea was arrested through cooperation between the Korean National Police Agency and the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board.

In Korea, 12 members of the distribution network — including six Thai nationals and six Korean nationals — were also arrested for storing or trafficking the smuggled drugs.

The Anyang Dongan Police Precinct in Gyeonggi said Wednesday that the Cameroonian suspect, identified as the head of the overseas distribution ring, was apprehended by Thai authorities on Sept. 30 after being placed on an Interpol red notice.

He had ordered 36 kilograms of methamphetamine to be smuggled into Korea by hiding it in international freight shipments. Police seized a total of 31 kilograms, with an estimated street value of 103.3 billion won ($70,400).

At the time of his arrest in Thailand, he was reportedly carrying a pistol and ammunition. As the alleged ringleader, Korean police plan to extradite him through a bilateral treaty and further investigate the trafficking route.

Twelve people, including a Thai national who received instructions from the ringleader, were arrested for their involvement in distributing the smuggled meth. Ten of them have been indicted and referred to prosecutors on charges including violations of the Narcotics Control Act.

Methamphetamine hidden in a pouch carried by a Cameroonian suspect apprehended by police [ANDONG DONGAN POLICE PRECINCT]

The Thai national was caught while attempting to pick up 17 kilograms of meth that had been concealed inside 189 handbags and delivered to a residential area in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi. Police were lying in wait. During the arrest, officers also found 2,021 yaba pills in the suspect’s residence.

Another suspect, another Thai national, was previously caught and indicted after storing and distributing 19 kilograms of meth hidden in a flour mixer that had been shipped in April last year. Of that amount, 5 kilograms had already been distributed to drug dealers and online sellers in Incheon and Busan before the arrest.

The drugs smuggled through this network were linked not only to Thai organizations but also to drug trafficking rings in Laos and other parts of Southeast Asia. Traffickers can make as much as 60 times the local black-market price when distributing these drugs in Korea, according to police.

A Thai national is caught while attempting to pick up 17 kilograms of meth that had been concealed inside 189 handbags and delivered to a residential area in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi [ANDONG DONGAN POLICE PRECINCT]

Police said they began working with the National Intelligence Service in 2023 to track down the overseas ringleader. After coordinating with customs authorities, they intercepted drugs hidden in a shipment of flour mixers in April last year and arrested the individuals involved.

Based on intelligence that the ringleader was planning another large-scale shipment in June, they requested further cooperation from customs and managed to uncover and confiscate all the meth hidden in the handbags — each package containing 90 grams.

“We have completely shut down one of the smuggling routes used by an overseas ringleader to bring meth into Korea,” said a police official. “We will continue strengthening intelligence gathering and conduct thorough investigations to respond forcefully to drug suppliers and distributors.”

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 SON SUNG-BAE [[email protected]]