Thailand cited as ketamine source in ex-baseball player smuggling probe

South Korea’s SBS reported that the Violent Crimes Investigation Division of the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office announced the arrest and indictment of two alleged ringleaders of a drug trafficking organisation: Mr A (pseudonym), a 33-year-old former professional baseball player, and Mr B (pseudonym), a 30-year-old software developer.

They were charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, as well as possession of narcotics.

Prosecutors said the pair allegedly smuggled 1.9 kilogrammes of ketamine—valued on the black market at 100 million won (more than 2 million baht)—from Thailand into South Korea on three occasions over the course of a month, starting in September last year. 

Mr A also admitted he had tried methamphetamine once at an entertainment venue in Thailand. Prosecutors said both Mr A and Mr B used Telegram to purchase ketamine in Thailand and to smuggle it into South Korea.

Prosecutors also found similar methods in drug-smuggling cases originating in Thailand in Daejeon, Incheon and Busan over the past two years. 

After couriers were arrested at Gimhae International Airport in October last year, investigators tracked IP addresses, analysed cryptocurrency wallet addresses, and coordinated on the ground, leading to the arrest of Mr A as the alleged ringleader.

During the investigation, authorities found that ketamine handovers were carried out in rooms at Suvarnabhumi Airport and at Incheon International Airport, with each transfer taking only a few tens of seconds.

Investigators said Mr A and his associates hid all related evidence, including mobile phones, to avoid being traced. They also reportedly chose couriers travelling as family tourists with young children, who tend to face fewer inspections from customs and other authorities.

Japanese report highlights alleged Thai-led SNS network

Japan’s ABC TV News also reported on what it described as South Korea’s takedown of an international drug gang that used social networking services (SNS) to smuggle methamphetamine tablets and crystal meth, alleging a Thai national oversaw the network. The report said 21 suspects were arrested.

According to the report, police in Jinju, in South Gyeongsang province, raided an international drug trafficking network that used SNS to issue instructions, and identified a key suspect as a Thai man in his early 20s who allegedly served as the “Korea-side controller”. 

He is accused of smuggling 79,000 methamphetamine tablets from Thailand into South Korea.

Police also seized 5 kilogrammes of crystal meth from another Thai male suspect, allegedly before it was sold on to migrant workers in South Korea, including Chinese and Thai nationals, while some was reportedly kept for personal use.

In total, 21 people were arrested and 16 detained, with 68,000 methamphetamine tablets seized (worth about 1.44 billion won) and a further 2.9 kilogrammes of crystal meth (worth about 290 million won).

The report described the operation as a major success, with the investigative team receiving a special performance award from the national police agency. Police also said informants would be protected and that enforcement against drug trafficking via SNS would be stepped up.

The story, which has drawn negative attention to Thailand’s image, came as Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture Police—together with organised crime investigators and the Tokyo Immigration Bureau—raided an apartment in Kamisu and arrested four Thai nationals for legal action, as part of a crackdown on illegal workers and unlawful residents in Japan.