Tax-backed weed bunker bust latest in 'underground' drug investigations
Published: 04 Mar. 2026, 17:02
Updated: 04 Mar. 2026, 17:54
![Marijuana plants are growing at a cultivation site built inside an underground bunker in Incheon. [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/04/d9763c24-e785-4d1e-94cc-7c0082e9ae7c.jpg)
Marijuana plants are growing at a cultivation site built inside an underground bunker in Incheon. [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]
INCHEON — What seemed like a taxpayer-backed “smart farm” was, investigators say, a different kind of green operation: an underground weed bunker hidden beneath a greenhouse complex in Ganghwa, Incheon.
When investigators from the government’s joint investigation headquarters for narcotics crimes lifted a patch of artificial turf between two greenhouses at the site, a staircase leading underground came into view.
In the concealed basement space, they found smart farming equipment fitted with LED lighting and ventilation systems. Marijuana was growing in dozens of flowerpots, totaling 134 plants. Authorities also found 2.8 kilograms (6.17 pounds) of dried marijuana that had been harvested and stored, an amount estimated to be enough for about 28,000 doses based on a rule of thumb of 10,000 doses per kilogram.
Even one of the investigators at the scene clicked his tongue, saying it was his first time seeing a factory-style marijuana cultivation site.
The investigation found that the two suspects, middle school classmates, received government smart-farm start-up support loans in January 2024, low-interest loans of 500 million won each, and grew basil. They also received an electricity bill discount and a youth start-up voucher worth one million won per month.
Authorities believe the pair were later approached by a dealer active on the dark web and agreed to cultivate and distribute marijuana. They built the underground bunker and began growing marijuana in September last year, investigators said, while the greenhouses above ground were left largely empty. The joint probe unit arrested one suspect and booked the other on suspicion of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Prevention of Illegal Trafficking in Narcotics.
“They claim they only grew marijuana [and not sell],” a prosecution official said. “But an additional 500 to 600 grams of marijuana packaged for wholesale and retail was found hidden in a nearby hillside, so we are also investigating whether distribution took place.”
![Narcotics portioned and packaged for distribution [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/04/ba429eb5-80ba-4766-95ff-e5a303f9aec8.jpg)
Narcotics portioned and packaged for distribution [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]
The discovery was the latest result of a series of investigations conducted by the headquarters, which has for narcotics crimes booked 124 major supply-side suspects for serious offenses including smuggling, distribution and cultivation, arresting 56 of them in its first 100 days after its launch in November 2025. That included 29 suspects linked to smuggling and cultivation, 23 suspects tied to sales and 27 suspects linked to distribution.
The investigations were carried out jointly by eight agencies, including prosecutors, police and the Korea Customs Service. In smuggling cases, authorities said traffickers hid drugs inside bicycle tires, baby crib frames and highlighters.
The task force also busted three smuggling rings, including groups involving Vietnamese suspects in their 20s and arrested 15 people. Authorities said the groups had attempted to bring in 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4.6 kilograms of ketamine and 2,378 ecstasy tablets.
Investigators also cited a case involving lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) being smuggled into a detention center. LSD can be produced on thin paper resembling postage stamps and absorbed by dissolving it on the tongue, and authorities said it has been spreading quickly through channels such as international mail because, unlike injected drugs, it does not leave needle marks. Investigators believe people previously imprisoned for drug smuggling later used mail to send LSD into a detention center.
The task force identified one suspect involved in smuggling and distribution and three inmates who received the drugs. One of the inmates was identified as the ringleader in a drug case involving a university student “drug club” called Kkanbu. Some inmates were also found to have stored urine, authorities said, in an apparent attempt to avoid periodic drug reagent tests conducted by probation offices.
![Ketamine hidden inside a highlighter [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/04/6bd290a3-e479-4691-b9ed-9f4266e2c80a.jpg)
Ketamine hidden inside a highlighter [JOINT INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS FOR NARCOTICS CRIMES]
Drug crimes among people in their teens to 30s have risen sharply in Korea, with that age group accounting for 77 percent of drug suspects apprehended in its enforcement actions, according to the task force. Authorities also booked 41 foreign nationals.
“Drug crimes are increasingly shifting to contactless, online methods and being distributed through anonymous, loosely connected cells, spreading rapidly among people in their teens to 30s who are comfortable online, making a government-wide response necessary,” an official with the joint probe unit said.
“Because most drugs circulating domestically flow in from overseas, we plan to keep stepping up joint investigations with relevant agencies at home and abroad, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Intelligence Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration focusing on overseas senders to block inflows, and prioritizing the repatriation of fugitives who have fled abroad.”
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 CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)