South Korean Police Arrest 49 in Crypto-powered Drug Trading Bust

South Korean police have arrested 49 people in a raid on a suspected crypto-powered drugs trading gang, officers announced on April 23.

Per Newsis, the Busan Police Agency Drug Crime Investigation Unit said the gang had smuggled and sold almost $1.5 million worth of narcotics to crypto-paying buyers.

Officers said they were currently trying to “repatriate” the gang’s suspected ringleader, who appears to be based in the Philippines.

Police said the gang smuggled drugs including methamphetamine (crystal meth) and synthetic marijuana into the country from the Philippines. Officers also believe the gang sold drugs to buyers in the Philippines.

A spokesperson told reporters that the gang had used drug smugglers to conceal bags of drugs inside women’s sanitary products.

The smugglers then tried to evade detection at airports by wearing these sanitary products in their underwear.

The spokesperson added that the gang contacted drug users via 11 different Telegram channels, with the customers paying in crypto.

As has previously been the case, the gang arranged to “dead-drop” narcotics in residential areas of the buyers’ choosing in South Korea.

Officers said the group typically chose to hide drugs in “electric terminal boxes and fire hydrants” in residential areas.

Dealers would then allegedly send the buyers photographs and GPS location data to help them find the hidden drugs.

Police said the group began its operations in August last year, and added that some of the arrestees detained in both South Korea and the Philippines were charged with drug use.

Officers in Busan also arrested four suspected smugglers and 12 suspected dealers. Their counterparts in the Philippines arrested five suspected smugglers and 27 suspected dealers.

The spokesperson said that officers also confiscated 4.8kg of drugs, including 1.2kg of methamphetamine, as well as almost $41,000 worth of fiat.

Officers said they had tracked the gang for several weeks by “analyzing Telegram messages” and footage from over 1,500 CCTV units.

The Busan force added that it had worked with law enforcement agencies in the Philippines on the case, as well as Interpol and the South Korean National Intelligence Service.

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