Police seized 60 kilograms of cocaine with packaging marked “UN” from Canadian drug dealer’s residence

SOUTH Korean newspapers report that police there recently arrested three drug traffickers who allegedly smuggled liquid drugs worth US$135 million and processed them into solid form for distribution.

Korea Coast Guard’s drug investigation team told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Monday that three people, including a 55-year-old Canadian drug ring member and a 27-year-old local drug seller, were arrested.

The liquid cocaine was smuggled in through a container cargo ship and then processed into solid form at a factory in Gangwon allegedly by Colombian drug ring members.

The Canadian is reportedly a high-ranking member of a Canadian drug ring with a prior record of smuggling cocaine via cargo ships from the United States, the newspaper reported.

In early August, police received intelligence about the Canadian drug ring from the National Intelligence Service in early August. On August 10, undercover police arrested the 27-year-old drug distributor without a warrant near Banpo Hangang Park in Seocho District, southern Seoul, after witnessing the distributor selling cocaine.

The Canadian was subsequently apprehended in Gimpo, Gyeonggi. During a raid on the dealer’s residence, police seized 60 kilograms of cocaine, with packaging marked “UN,” indicating ties to a drug cartel in Vancouver, the newspaper reported.

Authorities plan to conduct a digital forensic analysis of the Canadian’s phone and further investigate the details of the smuggling operation.