hankyoreh

By Kim Tae-gyu, staff reporter

A US soldier in Korea was caught smuggling and selling a large amount of a new hallucinogenic drug.

The Violent Crimes Division of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office confirmed on July 19 that it had issued a detention warrant for a Pvt. L, 23, with the Eighth US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division on charges of smuggling through the international mail some 3,480g of so-called “spice,” a synthetic substitute for marijuana.

The catch was enough for about 7,000 people (0.5g per person), and roughly equal to the total 3,509g of synthetic marijuana seized by customs officials last year.

Prosecutors plan to place L at a Korean detention center after taking custody of him from the US military.

The prosecutors’ investigation revealed that L smuggled spice into the country six times between August 2011 and January 2012. He purchased the drugs online through a website in Hungary and shipped them to Korea through the international mail.

L purchased the spice at US$100 (113,800 won) for 30g, and sold it for US$1,000 (1,103,800 won). At these prices, the amount of smuggled spice amounts to a total of 132 million won.

“Spice,” or “skunk” as it also known, is a synthetic marijuana in which the hallucinogenic component has been chemically prepared. The mixture is applied to tobacco leaf and smoked.

The hallucinogenic effect is four-to-five times that of natural marijuana.

Prior to this, a former US Army private identified as Mr. B, 21, was arrested in March for smuggling into Korea some 800g of methamphetamine and new drugs.

B had returned to the United States after being dishonorably discharged from the military for drug issues, but returned to Korea with a friend to deal drugs until he was caught.

During their investigation of B, prosecutors confirmed that L had taken part in the drug smuggling.

A prosecutorial official said this was the first time a detention warrant had been issued to a serving US soldier in Korea for a drug offense. He said investigators had found L mostly sold his drugs to other US soldiers and foreigners residing in Korea.

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