SUMMARY
In its largest-ever drug seizure, the Korea Coast Guard discovered two tons of suspected pure cocaine aboard a Norwegian-flagged vessel that had traveled from Mexico, stopping in Ecuador, Panama, and China.
The operation was launched following intelligence shared by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). A joint team of 90 officers and two drug-sniffing dog units boarded the vessel at an east coast port and found 56 sacks of cocaine hidden in a compartment behind the engine room.
Preliminary tests confirmed the drugs as cocaine, with an estimated street value of ₩1 trillion (approx. $697 million USD)—five times larger than South Korea’s previous record drug seizure.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the vessel’s crew, the origin and destination of the drugs, and possible ties to international drug trafficking syndicates, with continued collaboration from U.S. agencies.
South Korea remains one of the countries with the lowest rates of drug use, largely due to strict drug laws and strong societal stigma.
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