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A South African man has been arrested and indicted for smuggling billions of won worth of marijuana into the country, according to a local prosecutors' office.
The 40-year-old man, whose name was withheld, was caught at Jeju International Airport trying to bring 20 kilograms of marijuana worth 2 billion won ($1.7 million) in a trunk on June 2, the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office said.
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| A South African man has been arrested for trying to smuggle cannabis worth 2 billion won at Jeju International Airport, Jeju District Prosecutors' Office said Monday. /AP-Yonhap |
Departing South Africa, he arrived in Korea after a stopover in Hong Kong.
Prosecutors failed to find the dealer here whom the South African man tried to contact, as they dropped out of contact after the man was caught.
There has been a surge in cannabis smuggling here in recent years especially from South Africa, where the country's Constitutional Court decriminalized personal use of marijuana last September.
Last October, a South African woman was caught with 18 kilograms of marijuana from the country in her bag at Gimhae International Airport in Busan.
Under the country's law, anyone found guilty of smuggling, possessing or using cannabis products can be imprisoned for up to five years or fined up to 50 million won.
