Suwon court gives man 10 years for smuggling 636 kg of cannabis
In short
A Suwon court sentenced a 53-year-old ethnic Korean from Japan to 10 years in prison on October 8 for smuggling about 636 kg of cannabis into South Korea. The court rejected his entrapment defence and ordered the seized drugs confiscated.
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Suwon District Court sentenced a 53-year-old ethnic Korean from Japan to 10 years in prison on October 8 for smuggling about 636 kg of cannabis into South Korea, Newsis reported. The first-instance ruling also ordered confiscation of the seized drugs. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence. [ 1 ]
The defendant conspired with members of a Vietnamese drug-selling organisation to ship the cannabis from Thailand, the reports said. A container carrying the drugs departed Laem Chabang port in early March and arrived at Incheon port on March 23. Some of the cannabis was intended for distribution in South Korea and some for onward export, including to Japan. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Yonhap described the shipment as the largest amount of drugs smuggled into the country for domestic distribution. Using a quantity of 0.5 grams per smoking session, it said the cannabis amounted to roughly 1.27 million such portions. [ 2 ]
The defence sought dismissal of the case on entrapment grounds, arguing that a person the defendant met in prison had deliberately approached him to assist investigators and induced him to commit the offence. The court rejected that argument, saying there was no evidence of such an intentional approach. It said the Vietnamese organisation members responsible for procuring and exporting the cannabis were people the defendant had contacted through an acquaintance. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
The court noted that the defendant had previously belonged to a Japanese yakuza organisation and had served a prison sentence for drug smuggling. It criticised his commission of a much larger similar offence after release. In mitigation, it considered his cooperation with investigators and the immediate discovery of the cannabis, which prevented domestic distribution. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Yonhap also reported that the court took into account his admission of the offence, the difficulty of viewing him as the leader of the entire smuggling operation, and the absence of actual criminal proceeds. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The outlets described the shipment as the largest drug import intended for domestic distribution in South Korea. The court said the cannabis was intercepted before it could enter domestic circulation, a factor it considered in sentencing.
Key facts
- Suwon District Court imposed a 10-year prison term and confiscation of the seized drugs. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The cannabis shipment left Thailand's Laem Chabang port in early March and arrived at Incheon on March 23. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Prosecutors had requested a 20-year prison term. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- The court rejected the defendant's claim that investigators had induced the crime. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The court considered his cooperation and the fact that the drugs had not entered domestic circulation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- No open questions in the coverage so far.