A Chinese drug runner involved in a 2023 blackmail scheme that drugged children with spiked drinks in Seoul has been sentenced to prison in Cambodia, according to Korea’s top spy agency.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Thursday that the drug runner was sentenced to 26 years in prison by a Cambodian court for trafficking 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of methamphetamine and possessing 700 grams of the substance.
The criminal ring later blackmailed and attempted to extort six parents, threatening to report the students to police for drug use.
Oh, okay, that’s the piece I was missing!
In April 2023, a criminal ring distributed milk spiked with methamphetamine to students in Seoul’s Gangnam District, branding the drink as a “concentration enhancer.”
According to police at the time, 18 out of 100 bottles, each containing 0.1 grams of methamphetamine, were distributed. Eight students and one parent ingested eight bottles in total.
The criminal ring later blackmailed and attempted to extort six parents, threatening to report the students to police for drug use.
The drug runner was apprehended by local police at a hideout in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on April 16, 2024, after the NIS provided intelligence to Cambodian authorities.
Although the NIS sought to extradite the suspect to Korea, Cambodian authorities tried him under local law due to his possession of methamphetamine and drug manufacturing tools.
“We consider close information exchange with Cambodian police to be a key factor in the successful crackdown on this drug crime organization,” the NIS said. “We plan to continue strengthening cooperation with foreign authorities to actively identify and block international criminal organizations.”
That’s a hell of a holiday in Cambodia.
Where people dress in black!
