[Anchor]
The man in his 30s who became known online as the "Suwon Drug Zombie" after a video captured him staggering down a street in broad daylight has been arrested. Although police found drugs at his home and he repeatedly denied using them until the end, the court ruled there was a risk of him destroying evidence.
Reporter Im Jihyeon has the story.
[Reporter]
A police escort vehicle enters the courthouse.
The individual undergoing a pre-trial detention hearing is a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, who appeared in the so-called "Suwon Drug Zombie" video three months ago.
On June 21, Mr. A was captured swaying in a hunched posture near a bus stop in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, and the footage spread rapidly across social media under the title "Suwon Drug Zombie."
Police tracked down Mr. A and conducted a preliminary drug test. Finding him positive for methamphetamine, they placed him under emergency arrest.
Contrary to expectations, however, a subsequent urine test came back negative, leading to Mr. A's release just a day later.
Police later secured a search and seizure warrant, discovering packaged methamphetamine wrapped in plastic at Mr. A's residence. Hair analysis results also tested positive for narcotics, prompting police to apply for an arrest warrant.
Mr. A had consistently claimed, "I did take psychotropic medications prescribed by a psychiatrist, but I neither used nor stored methamphetamine."
However, police stated that additional investigation revealed circumstances indicating Mr. A illegally traded medical narcotics through an acquaintance, Mr. B.
Police have also booked Mr. B as an accomplice under the Narcotics Control Act, and reportedly reiterated the necessity of detaining Mr. A to the court today, stating that Mr. A was lying.
The court issued the arrest warrant citing concerns over the destruction of evidence, and police plan to transfer Mr. A to the prosecution after further investigating how he acquired the drugs and the extent of his usage.
(Camera Reporter: Jang Woon-seok | Video Editor: Jeong Yong-hwa | Designer: Hwang Se-yeon)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.