International Narcotics Crime Status and Countermeasures: Focusing on Thailand and new drugs

Abstract

creasing every year. According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the number of drug offenders exceeded 10,000 in 2015 and increased to 18,395 in 2022. In particular, the number of teenagers using drugs nearly tripled from 119 in 2017 to 481 in 2022. In addition, with the revitalization of international exchange and the Internet, illegal distribution of drugs on the dark web and other Internet drugs has increased. New supply methods such as illegal distribution of medical narcotics have emerged, and drugs developed as analogues or inducers that avoid existing sanctions are being distributed as new types of narcotics, making it difficult to solve the problem. The country that has the greatest influence on drug crimes in Korea is Thailand. As of 2022, among foreign drug offenders, Thais accounted for the largest number at 779, and the largest number were smuggling offenders at 301. Meanwhile, the harmfulness of drugs causes various social problems such as crimes due to arousal, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms. In particular, the number of drug offenders under the age of 29 is increasing, raising concerns about the future of the country. Drug crime measures to be taken together with Thailand include establishing measures by drug type, establishing and implementing an early response system for new drugs such as a temporary drug designation system, and operating a cooperation system to investigate and arrest drug crime distribution networks.