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| ▲ KCS Commissioner Yoon Tae-sik (R) signs the Joint Statement on Customs Cooperation on Narcotics Control in Asia and the Pacific Region during an event held in Seoul on April 27, 2023, in this photo released by the Korea Customs Service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
customs-drug dealing
S. Korean customs agency to combat drug dealing with Asian-Pacific nations
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's customs agency said Thursday it has agreed with Asian-Pacific nations to make joint efforts to combat drug dealing amid growing concerns over narcotic abuses here.
The agreement with 17 other countries, including Japan, Australia and Thailand, was reached during the K-Customs week that kicked off for a three-day run the previous day, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS).
"We, the customs representatives, jointly decided to raise the level of communication among the customs authorities, by face-to-face engagement for smooth administrative services and sharing information, such as drug seizure cases subject to the domestic laws," their joint statement said.
The participating nations also shared a consensus that drug-trading activities are linked to "other transnational criminal activity, including money laundering and arms smuggling," and that "perpetrators can pose serious political and security threats to the region."
In 2022, Seoul carried out a joint operation with the 17 nations to root out illegal trading in the region, in which they found a combined 88.6 kilograms of drugs in South Korea.
Last year, the KCS also detected 624 kilograms worth of drug-smuggling attempts, with 87 percent originating from the Asia-Pacific region.
"Cooperation among customs agencies is essential to eradicating drug smuggling at the borders," KCS Commissioner Yoon Tae-sik said. "Through the joint declaration, the customs authorities of the Asia-Pacific should focus efforts to make the region drug-free."
On the margins of the event, Yoon also held a separate dialogue with representatives of 22 countries and four other organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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