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| ▲ This photo, provided by the Korea Customs Service, shows the agency's Vice Commissioner Lee Myeong-ku (R) shaking hands with Charge d'Affaires Nazarudin Jaafar of Malaysia in Seoul on Nov. 14, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo taken April 10, 2023, shows an official holding drugs seized by the prosecution during a press briefing in the prosecutors' office in Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Malaysia-drug smuggling
S. Korea, Malaysia agree to enhance cooperation on drug smuggling crackdown
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Malaysia agreed Tuesday to boost cooperation in their fight against drug crimes in response to a recent surge in cross-border drug smuggling, the customs agency here said.
The consensus was reached during a meeting between Vice Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service (KCS) Lee Myeong-ku and Charge d'Affaires Nazarudin Jaafar of Malaysia in Seoul earlier in the day.
The amount of drugs seized before being smuggled into South Korea from Malaysia has skyrocketed this year to come to 89 kilograms as of Nov. 11, compared with 7 kg for the whole of 2022, according to the KCS.
During the meeting, Lee asked the Malaysian diplomat for stronger measures to prevent drug smuggling attempts by beefing up security checks and sharing information.
In response, Nazarudin Jaafar said his country is closely watching the recent trend and vowed to cooperate with South Korean authorities to prevent and crack down on trafficking.
Last month, South Korea launched a task force on the prevention and eradication of drug trafficking, and has sought to strengthen cooperation with major nations for the efforts.
The seized drugs from Southeast Asian nations came to 331 kg this year, compared with last year's 523 kg, the agency said.
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