Two North Korean drug traffickers were arrested at a checkpoint in North Hamgyong province in recent days after attempting to smuggle methamphetamine from Hamhung to Hoeryong, exposing a wider trafficking network as the regime struggles to contain drug use despite strict enforcement of its anti-drug laws.
“A woman in her 50s and a man in his 20s were recently caught trying to transport meth to Hoeryong during a routine stop at a No. 10 guard post under the Ministry of State Security. The pair had purchased the drugs in Hamhung and hidden them on their person. They were arrested on the spot and handed over to the Hoeryong police, and all the meth in their possession was confiscated,” a source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The woman, identified as “A,” is a professional drug dealer who buys meth in bulk in Hamhung, a well-known center of drug manufacture, and sells it at street prices around Hoeryong. She divides the methamphetamine into small quantities of 0.2 grams, 0.5 grams, and 1 gram for individual users. She had allegedly visited Hamhung to replenish her supply and was caught on her return. Because methamphetamine is potent in small quantities, it can be easily concealed on the body, which is the method she used to transport drugs to Hoeryong.
“A” did not operate alone but hired trusted individuals to serve as drug mules. One of them was the young man arrested with her, identified here as “B,” who received monetary compensation for his services. “B,” a student at a university in Chongjin, became a drug mule to cover tuition and living expenses. Following his arrest, he is likely to be expelled from his university.
Bust uncovers wider network
The pair had several hundred grams of methamphetamine in their possession when they were caught, worth approximately 100,000 Chinese yuan (around $13,760 USD).
Police have since raided “A’s” home and seized notebooks containing account records and phone numbers, and are now focusing their investigation on identifying her suppliers and customers.
“The municipal police raided ‘A’s’ home and seized notebooks containing her accounts and phone numbers — basically, anything that might be helpful. The investigation will presumably move on to the people whose names appear in her notebooks,” the source said.
Officers who issued “A” a travel pass are also under scrutiny. Given how commonly bribes change hands when travel passes are issued, police suspect she obtained passes on multiple occasions through close ties with certain members of the force.
“‘A’ requested the travel pass for the death of a relative, and not for business purposes. Since this is a serious case of drug trafficking, the police officers who issued the travel pass will be questioned,” the source said.
In July 2021, North Korea passed the Prevention of Drug Crimes Act, which details sentences ranging from fixed-term imprisonment and life sentences to capital punishment for the illicit production, large-scale smuggling, and trafficking of narcotics. Despite strict enforcement, drugs remain readily available, the source said.
“Many people have been sent to prison for trafficking ice, and just as many have been sent to forced labor camps for using it. But despite rigorous police work, drug trafficking and drug deals continue because users can’t break a habit that’s lucrative for dealers,” the source said.
“Some North Koreans are fond of saying that ice is a habit, not an addiction. One reason drug usage is so tough to eradicate is that there’s little public awareness about the dangers,” the source said.
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