Suspect used methamphetamine for about two years starting in 2024, buying it five times
Was working as a designated driver until his arrest
A designated driver who continued using methamphetamine while wearing an electronic ankle monitor and under probation for a prior sex crime conviction has been sent to prosecutors.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit's drug crime investigation team said Wednesday it had forwarded the suspect, identified only as A, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in detention on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.
According to police, A is accused of purchasing methamphetamine five times between February and August this year, paying for each transaction with virtual assets through an online drug dealer.
Investigators found that A obtained the drug in amounts of 0.5 to 1 gram per transaction using a method known as a "dead drop," in which the dealer hides the narcotics in advance at locations such as residential neighborhoods or parks in Seoul for the buyer to retrieve.
Police identified A as a suspect while investigating a drug-dealing channel on an overseas messaging app and arrested and detained him on Aug. 24.
A search of A's home and vehicle turned up 1 gram of methamphetamine divided into small plastic zip-lock bags, along with more than 200 used and unused disposable syringes. Police said the 1 gram seized was enough for about 33 people to use simultaneously, based on a single dose of 0.03 grams.
The investigation revealed that A first purchased methamphetamine out of curiosity through a drug-dealing channel around May 2024, while already wearing an ankle monitor and under probation, and continued using for about two years until his arrest.
A was also working as a designated driver throughout that period — a field that people with ankle monitors are restricted from entering. Police said the case exposed a blind spot in the employment restriction regime for those convicted of serious violent crimes. Under current law, people with prior convictions for sex crimes or drug offenses are barred from working in certain sectors, including freight trucking, taxi driving and delivery services. However, no explicit regulation uniformly prohibits designated drivers with criminal records from working in that field.
Police said the relevant regime needs strengthening, given that a person with a serious criminal record working in a face-to-face service role while under the influence of drugs could trigger further crimes or safety incidents.
"We will share this case with relevant government agencies and continue discussions on improving the system," a police official said. "We will maintain strict enforcement to prevent drug crimes from seeping into the peaceful daily lives of the public."
newday@heraldcorp.com
