South Korean police accuse 17 US soldiers of drug crimes
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By South Korean law, those convicted of exporting or importing marijuana can face from five years to life in prison.
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SEOUL – The police in South Korea on Wednesday accused 17 US soldiers and five other people of distributing or using synthetic marijuana that had been brought into the country through the United States military’s postal service.
The police said they had not arrested any of the soldiers but had asked prosecutors to file charges against all 22 people. A Philippine national and a South Korean national were under arrest, said the police in the city of Pyeongtaek. Synthetic marijuana is an illegal substance in South Korea.
Mr Cha Min-seok, a senior detective, said the drug investigation was one of the largest in recent years involving US soldiers. Most of the distribution of the drug had taken place on US bases, through soldiers communicating on Snapchat, Mr Cha said. Two of the civilians were a soldier’s spouse and another soldier’s fiancee, he said.
In South Korea, after the police finish a criminal investigation, prosecutors review it, sometimes conducting their own inquiry, before deciding whether to bring indictments. The police said their four-month investigation had begun with a tip from the US Army’s criminal investigation division.
The US military said it was aware of the South Korean police investigation of the soldiers “for alleged illegal drug behaviour and misuse of the military mail system”.
“Currently, no soldiers are in confinement or being detained in relation to this incident,” it said in a statement. It said it “does not condone any behaviours among its personnel that violate South Korean laws, rules or directives and supports this investigation”.
Synthetic marijuana is a term for a variety of substances that mimic tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana.
The police did not release the names of any of the 22 suspects. They said seven of them, including five soldiers, were involved in the sale of the drug, 12 were users and three acted as go-betweens.
The police said they seized about 76g of the drug, and US$12,850 (S$17,600) in suspected proceeds from its sale.
By South Korean law, those convicted of exporting or importing marijuana or possessing it for such purposes can face from five years to life in prison. Those who sell or buy marijuana face a minimum of one year in prison. Those who use it can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to US$37,600. NYTIMES
