A total of 103 people have been booked during an investigation into charges of smuggling, trading and taking new kinds of drugs, police said Wednesday.
Of the suspects, 42 of them, including a 43-year-old suspected drug lord surnamed Cho, allegedly brought in 20 kilograms of a drug called “herb” from Japan and sold it to 61 buyers through the Internet, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
The suspects allegedly smuggled the drugs in with green tea leaves after hiding them inside snack boxes through international mail, according to the SMPA.
The amount would be enough to provide a maximum of 60,000 people with the illegal substance, according to SMPA officers.
The buyers include eight middle and high school students who allegedly purchased the illegal substance after contacting the smugglers through social networking services, they said.
The SMPA said it has detained 25 people, including Cho, and seized seven kilograms of herb and another 500 grams of marijuana.
The SMPA also said it has requested help from Interpol to find a suspect, only identified as the initial H, who is currently on the run in Japan, in connection with the case. (Yonhap)
