Customs authorities have successively arrested drug offenders through tracking investigations triggered by illegal drugs left behind on aircraft seats and in restrooms at Incheon International Airport.

According to the Incheon Airport Customs, white powder was discovered under an airplane seat on a flight that arrived at Incheon Airport Terminal 1 from Cambodia at 7:38 AM on May 16 of last year.

Analysis confirmed the substance was ketamine, a drug commonly known as a club drug, but because all passengers had already disembarked when it was found, it was difficult to identify the suspect.

However, the Incheon Airport Customs investigation team analyzed CCTV footage around the aircraft seats and from the arrival time zone to identify a man in his 30s, surnamed A, as a suspect.

Subsequently, after obtaining a search and seizure warrant from the court, they conducted a search of the suspect's residence and performed digital forensics on his mobile phone to secure materials proving the crime.

In particular, while analyzing A's communication data, the team detected circumstances indicating that a woman in her 30s, surnamed B, had participated in the crime, prompting an additional investigation.

The investigation team urgently arrested B after discovering ketamine hidden inside her underwear at 7:04 AM on August 7 of last year as she entered the country through Incheon Airport from Cambodia.

In addition, the team checked two men in their 30s who entered the country with B for drug use, and after they tested positive, transferred their cases to the jurisdiction police station.

Investigations revealed that A and B not only smuggled cocaine, marijuana, and ketamine into the country but also distributed them using the so-called "throw-and-drop" method.

With cannabis buried underground found in apartment playgrounds and flowerbeds, the true scale of the drug operation came to light, triggered by a single bag of ketamine found inside the cabin.


Another case began on the morning of December 16 of last year when three packs of cigarette-shaped cannabis were found in the accessible restroom of the Incheon Airport arrivals hall.

At the time, there were no CCTV cameras inside the restroom, making it difficult to find direct evidence, and National Forensic Service analysis yielded no fingerprints, causing difficulties in identifying a suspect.

As a result of analyzing the movement paths of visitors using CCTV footage recorded around the restroom entrance for two months, the investigation team identified a man in his 30s, surnamed C, who showed unusual behavior, as a suspect.

Following this, they searched C's vehicle and seized cigarette-shaped cannabis identical in form to the ones found in the airport restroom.

Through mobile phone forensics, the investigation team additionally booked two men in their 30s who had smuggled cannabis and chocolates containing psilocybin (a hallucinogenic component) along with C.

Nam Chang-hoon, head of the Investigation Bureau at Incheon Airport Customs, stated, "Drug offenders are increasingly using covert and intelligent methods to smuggle narcotics to evade crackdowns," adding, "We will completely block the introduction and distribution of narcotics into the country through foolproof crackdowns."
 
(Photo provided by Incheon Airport Customs, Yonhap News)