< Anchor>

The amount of drugs seized by customs last month exceeded 200 kilograms, a record high. That's more than 1% more than a year ago. Especially with the resumption of international travel, smuggling through travelers is soaring.

This is Yerin Park.

<Reporter>
Mr. A, a Malaysian national who taped his
thighs and abdomen.



[Drug investigator: 30 kilograms instead of 4 kilograms?]

The amount of meth caught alone is 10.7 kilograms, enough for 4,24 people.

Inside the box is 2 kilograms of drugs in the shape of red pills, and when the bottle of formula is spilled out, 1,400 pills hidden in the powder powder are poured out.

So far this year, a total of 213 kilograms of drugs have been seized by customs so far this year.

An average of 1.8 kilograms were seized per day, which is down from a year ago, but the number of seizures increased by 32 percent, the highest ever.

Smuggling of small quantities for one's own use has been reduced by almost half, but drug smuggling has grown to the point where the average amount of smuggling per shipment exceeds one kilogram.

[Son Seong-so, Director of the Investigation Division of the Korea Customs Service: The price of drug trade in Korea is quite high compared to other countries. [So] I understand that international organizations abroad are trying to smuggle drugs into the country.]

The most common method of smuggling was through international mail, but with the easing of COVID quarantine measures, smuggling through travelers has soared by more than 1% in terms of numbers and 1,90% by weight compared to last year.

Meth is coming mainly from Southeast Asia, hemp from North America, and new drugs from Europe.

The Korea Customs Service has significantly expanded the department, manpower, and equipment dedicated to detecting drug smuggling, and has also increased the maximum reward for reporting drug smuggling from 1 million won to 300 million won.

(Video Interview: Kim Yong-woo, Video Editing: Lee Sang-min)