Dozens of foil-wrapped packets of ketamine, falsely labelled as Chinese tea, have been washing up along the beaches of South Korea’s Jeju Island over the past few weeks, according to reports.
Since late September, more than 28kg of the anaesthetic drug have been recovered from at least ten sites, including the tourist-favourite Gwangchigi Beach in Seogwipo, one of Jeju’s popular tourist spots, and Jeju City’s northern shoreline.
Each packet, marked with Chinese characters for Tieguanyin oolong tea, contained about a kilogram of ketamine, a hallucinogenic substance banned under Korea’s Narcotics Control Act.
Ketamine is commonly administered as a medical anaesthetic, but its non-medical or recreational use is banned in South Korea. When abused, it can lead to serious psychological and physical harm, affecting vital organs such as the heart and lungs.
On 15 October, a beach cleaner in Seogwipo made the largest single find so far – 20kg of the so-called “tea bag drugs”. Subsequent searches, involving over 800 police officers, marines, coast guard members, and civilian volunteers, have continued to comb beaches for more hidden packages.
“I often bring my children to this beach,” said Kim, a local resident watching the cleanup in Jeju City this week.
“Seeing so many people looking for drugs is terrifying. I shudder to think that children might touch something like that,” he was quoted as saying by Korea JoongAng Daily.
Authorities estimate the total haul could be worth around 87 billion won ($64m), with each kg valued at roughly 3 billion won.
Officials have urged residents not to touch any suspicious objects and to report them immediately to police.
“Since the areas where drugs were found overlap with regions where marine waste tends to collect, we believe the packages floated to Jeju’s northern coast via ocean currents,” Kim Young-beom, head of the narcotics division at the Jeju Coast Guard, was quoted as saying by The Korea Times.
“Given that similar packages were found in Pohang and Japan’s Tsushima Island, it is likely they drifted in from overseas.”
Investigators have not ruled out organised drug syndicates using ocean-based smuggling tactics such as the “sea bump” method – where traffickers drop tracked bundles at sea for later retrieval.
Investigators are still working to uncover where the drugs came from. According to the head of the Jeju Coast Guard’s narcotics investigation unit, similar drug packages disguised as tea have also been found in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, and on Japan’s Tsushima Island.
“Tests showed that the packages float, suggesting they may have travelled here on ocean currents,” Mr Kim said.
Residents are worried that the washing of drugs on their shores could damage the reputation of the tourist hub.
“It’s been more than a month since the first packages appeared, and it feels too late for this kind of search,” Hyun, another Jeju City resident, told the local media.
“Collecting what’s already here is important, but authorities should focus on stopping more from drifting in.”
Officials say coastal searches will continue through mid-November.
“Anyone who finds a suspicious item should immediately contact police,” said Kang Gwi-bong of the Jeju Provincial Police, adding that possession or distribution of narcotics is punishable under the Korean law.
The latest find adds to rising fears about foreign drug trafficking into South Korea. Earlier this year, police arrested a German and a Polish man accused of smuggling 52kg of ketamine and 70,000 ecstasy pills, allegedly hiding the drugs in decorative ceramics sent through international couriers for local resale.
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