Drugs in tea packaging were found on rocks near a dock on Gapado in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, Thursday morning. Courtesy of the Jeju Coast Guard

A substance suspected of being drugs hidden in tea packaging has been discovered off the coast of Jeju Island again, raising concerns among the authorities about possible smuggling via maritime routes.

According to the Jeju Coast Guard, an object believed to contain narcotics was collected at around 6:30 a.m. April 30 from rocks near the dock on Gapado, in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo. The item was reported by a coastal environmental volunteer who found it among piles of debris during a cleanup activity.

The recovered object weighed about 1 kilogram and was wrapped in silver-colored tea packaging, matching the appearance of similar drug packs found along Jeju’s coastline since last year. The authorities said part of the outer packaging had been damaged, allowing seawater to seep inside.

A preliminary field test conducted by the coast guard showed a positive reaction for ketamine, an illicit drug. Officials have requested a detailed forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service to confirm its exact composition and trace its origin.

This marks the first such discovery in about a month, following a similar case reported on March 20 along the coast of Yeongnak-ri in Seogwipo. Since Sept. 29 last year, a total of 21 similarly packaged drugs have been identified in areas including Jeju Port, Aewol-eup, Jocheon-eup, Gujwa-eup, Yongdam Port, Udo, and Gwangchigi Beach in Seongsan-eup.

The investigative authorities previously said in an interim report that the drugs were likely lost at sea near Taiwan and later drifted to Jeju’s shores via ocean currents. The coast guard urged the public, saying, "If you find objects with similar packaging along the coast, do not touch them and report them to the Coast Guard immediately."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News