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Soldiers have been accused of smuggling synthetic marijuana using military mail from the US mainland and selling it to soldiers stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province
A group of 17 US soldiers have been arrested for smuggling in ‘synthetic marijuana’ to an army camp (Image: home.army.mil)
A group of 17 US soldiers have been arrested for smuggling 'synthetic cannabis' into an army camp in South Korea.
The Pyeongtaek Police Station in Gyeonggi Province has arrested 22 people, including 17 US soldiers on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.
The soldiers have been accused of smuggling synthetic marijuana using military mail from the US mainland and selling it to soldiers stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province.
Among the 22 suspects arrested were 17 US soldiers, four Koreans, and one Filipino national. They are suspected of smuggling into the country, distributing, buying, and smoking synthetic marijuana between February and May last year. Local police were tipped off by the US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) last April, and carried out four search and seizures at the two military camps between May and August, handing the cases over to the prosecution one by one. The police confiscated $12,850 in proceeds (approximately 16.7 million won), 4,300 ml of mixed liquid, and 27 electronic cigarette devices that the suspects had at the time. In addition, 80 ml of synthetic marijuana worth about 1.76 million won was also secured at the scene as evidence.
The arrested US soldiers will be dealt with through domestic investigation and trial in accordance with the ROK-US SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). A police official said, "The distributed synthetic marijuana was brought in through the U.S. military mail, so there is a risk that military mail could be used as a drug supply chain." He added, "We will continue to cooperate with CID in the future to investigate the U.S. military that handled domestic synthetic marijuana."
“We will continue,” he said.
Mirror has contacted US Army Criminal Investigation Division for more information. Camp Humphreys is located along the western coast of South Korea within the seaport city of Pyeongtaek, around 40 miles south of Seoul. The camp is one of the US' busiest in the region and is dubbed the "Army's Home in Korea."
