Polish national who smuggled 51 kilograms of ketamine, over 68,000 ecstasy pills sentenced to 13 years
Published: 19 Mar. 2026, 14:27
Updated: 19 Mar. 2026, 19:45
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[KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]
A Polish national who conspired with a drug dealer in Germany to smuggle 51 kilograms (112 pounds) of ketamine and 68,745 ecstasy pills into Korea has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling sentencing the defendant to 13 years in prison on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, according to legal sources on Thursday.
The person was indicted for receiving and bringing into Korea approximately 51.44 kilograms, or 113.4 pounds, of ketamine and 68,745 ecstasy pills that had been concealed inside sculptures and shipped to Incheon International Airport by a drug dealer in Germany in April last year.
The smuggled psychotropic substances were valued at 3.3 billion won ($2.2 million) for ketamine and 2.1 billion won for ecstasy at wholesale prices.
The first trial court sentenced the person to 10 years in prison and ordered a forfeiture of 4.75 million won.
“The defendant participated in an organized and professional drug distribution crime by importing large quantities of narcotics for financial gain and directly dividing, handling and possessing them,” the court said.
“However, a significant portion of the drugs handled appears to have been seized and not distributed on the market, and the defendant appears to have continued the crime out of concern for harm to family members."
In the second trial, which was held after both the defendant and prosecutors appealed, the sentence was increased to 13 years in prison, corresponding to the lower end of the sentencing guidelines, on the grounds that the original sentence was too lenient.
“The defendant has confessed to the crime and shown remorse and does not appear to have led the operation,” the appellate court said. “However, the large quantity and high value of the drugs handled are unfavorable factors.”
“Drug crimes have serious adverse effects on society as a whole and require strict measures,” the court said. “Import-related crimes in particular are highly likely to lead to the spread of drugs and additional crimes, making severe punishment unavoidable.”
The defendant appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, finding no error in the lower court’s judgment.
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 JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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