Illegal Drugs

[Anchor Lead]

Now that the use and possession of marijuaha has become legal in some U.S. states and Canada, products containing the herb have been increasingly smuggled to Korea recently. Travelers and students who are caught for buying marijuana out of curiosity or as gifts may be prosecuted for drug trafficking. Take a look

[Pkg]

Cannabis cartridges are easily available to consumers in the United States. Last year, the use and possession of cannabis, also known as marijuana, became legal in more than ten states in the U.S. and in all regions of Canada. As a result, marijuaha is now brought in growing amounts to Korea by tourists and Korean students studying abroad.

[Soundbite] Pyo Dong-sam(Incheon Main Customs) : "We have uncovered twice as many cannabis cartridges as last year."

Products containing cannabis vary from jelly to chocolate and cookies. The Incheon Main Customs uncovered 242 cases of cannabis smuggling from North America to Korea in 2018. Their combined weight reached 28 kilograms, while their combined worth surpassed 700 million won. That's more than three times compared with the previous year. Authorities have launched crackdown on products purchased directly from overseas sellers and packages arriving from abroad.

[Soundbite] Park Jong-pil(Incheon Main Customs) : "We are stepping up border crackdown by using detection dogs, X-rays and other techniques."

The Korea Customs Service and prosecutors say that even those who bring marijuana products out of curiosity or as gifts may be sentenced to more than five years in jail. The Korea Customs Service has also intensified crackdown on some 20 Web sites selling cannabis products.