▲ Coast Guard cracks down on illegal poppy cultivation
The Korea Coast Guard announced today (August 7) that it has apprehended 249 drug offenders as a result of a intensive crackdown on the illegal cultivation and distribution of poppies and hemp.
During the intensive crackdown conducted from April to July to coincide with the poppy flowering season and hemp harvest season, the Coast Guard apprehended 236 illegal poppy cultivators and 13 hemp offenders, seizing 29,438 poppy plants, 37 hemp plants, and 5.5 kg of dried cannabis.
Looking at major cases, a person in their 60s was apprehended in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, last May for secretly growing 270 poppy plants in a garden in front of their home and storing three bottles of infused liquor made from them.
Additionally, the Coast Guard apprehended a person in their 30s who had rented two locations, including an apartment and an officetel, in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to cultivate hemp from 2019 until last year, seizing 1.36 kg of hemp.
Considering that the illegal cultivation of poppies and hemp is often carried out covertly in rural, fishing, and island areas, the Coast Guard carried out the intensive crackdown by actively utilizing tips from local residents alongside on-site inquiries.
An official from the Korea Coast Guard stated, "The illegal cultivation of poppies and hemp can lead to narcotics crimes regardless of the scale of cultivation," adding, "We will protect the safety and health of the public by strengthening the crackdown not only on poppy and hemp cultivation but also on the smuggling of narcotics via maritime routes."
(Photo: Yonhap News / Provided by Korea Coast Guard)
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