SEOUL: Police arrested a 31 years old man on charges of smoking marijuana, he smuggled in from Thailand and tried to sell some to a foreigner here.
The man, identified only by his surname Lee, allegedly bought 240 grams of weed while traveling in Pattaya, a resort town southeast of Bangkok, in mid-December, according to the Hyehwa Police Station in northern Seoul. Police said the amount can be used by up to 500 people.
Police believe the man was able to sneak it in through Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main gateway, since airport X-ray machines aren’t able to detect the drug. In South Korea, he allegedly smoked five joints himself and tried to sell 34 grams to a Moroccan he met through a smartphone app, police said without naming the app. The Moroccan reported him to police before the transaction took place, authorities said. Lee was caught in the act as he tried to take out weed from his bag at the promised location in the northern Seoul district of Eunpyeong earlier this month.
Lee does not have a history of drug-related crimes, although he confessed to having first encountered the drug when staying in Australia for about two years in the past, police said. Authorities said many young South Koreans are tempted to sell illegal drugs they acquire abroad since they go for five-times the price in their home country. Police are searching for any accomplices Lee might have had.
