249 Arrested in Crackdown on Illicit Poppy and Hemp Cultivation, Including Liqueur Made at Apartments

The Korea Coast Guard announced today (August 7) that it has apprehended 249 drug offenders as a result of a special crackdown on the illegal cultivation and distribution of poppies and hemp.

During the special crackdown conducted from April to July, timed with the poppy flowering season and the hemp harvesting season, the Coast Guard apprehended 236 poppy-cultivating offenders and 13 hemp offenders, seizing 29,438 poppy plants, 37 hemp plants, and 5.5 kg of marijuana.

Among the 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 keeping three bottles of poppy-infused liquor.

The Coast Guard also 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 marijuana.

Considering that the illegal cultivation of poppies and hemp is often carried out covertly in rural, fishing, and island areas, the Coast Guard actively utilized tips from local residents alongside on-site inquiries to conduct the intensive crackdown.

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 crackdowns 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)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.