Gambling, drugs, and South Korea’s $1 billion bust

Neha Soni September 20, 2024

South Korea police, in cooperation with the Interpol, have seized drugs worth 1.4 trillion won ($1 billion) and arrested 29 drug offenders throughout Southeast Asia.

This follows a joint operation by Lao and Chinese authorities led to the arrest of 771 individuals in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in northwest Laos, targeting illegal online gambling, fraud, and trafficking activities. The crackdown focused on unauthorised online scam centres, which thrive in the region’s lawless environment. GTSEZ, controlled by Chinese businessman Zhao Wei, has been a hub for online scams and human trafficking, with many victims coerced into fraudulent operations under false pretences. Despite efforts to shut down these illegal enterprises, the entrenched criminal activities and the zone’s autonomy pose significant challenges to law enforcement.

The Korean National Police Agency have now announced that it had successfully carried out a more recent mission in the Golden Triangle with Interpol. The “Operation Lionfish-Mayag II” took place over 16 days. It started on 22 July till 7 August. The Korean police agency did not reveal the specific area where the drugs were seized and the suspects arrested.

Operation Lionfish-Mayag II

Seven countries: Korea, the United States, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia, were a part of the operation. The agency announced that among the confiscated drugs were 1.5 tons of ketamine. The operation confirms the Golden Triangle as a major source of ketamine in the international drug market.

The Korean National Police Agency shared real-time information with the participating countries during the operation. This exchange of information led to the arrest of a key suspect in Thailand, who was supplying drugs to Korea. Other joint investigations are also being conducted into other incidents like smuggling 16 kilograms of methamphetamine disguised as commercial food.

The Golden Triangle is the border region between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, and is a major production for drugs entering Korea.

It has been a major opium-growing region for decades. However, gangs (mostly in Myanmar) have directed their primary focus to growing synthetic drugs including methamphetamines in the recent years.

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