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"Approached drug suspects to raise coin investment funds…promised investigative favors"
A special judicial police officer (특사경) from the Korea Customs Service has been indicted and detained, facing trial on charges of receiving hundreds of millions of won in kickbacks from suspects and their families in exchange for quashing investigations or ensuring non-detention.
Initially, the Customs Service reported him for demanding bribes, but the prosecution's direct investigation uncovered evidence of him actually receiving bribes.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Sang-hyuk) announced on the 21st that it had indicted and detained Mr. A (49), a former investigation team leader at the Seoul Customs Office of the Korea Customs Service, on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.
Mr. A is accused of receiving a total of 145 million won from five individuals involved in drug smuggling and customs law violations in exchange for providing investigative favors.
Initially, the Customs Service had reported Mr. A to the prosecution for demanding 50 million won from a clothing importer in exchange for quashing an investigation.
Considering the gravity of the crime, the prosecution decided to conduct a direct investigation. As a result of search and seizure operations at the Seoul Customs Office and Mr. A's residence, and financial account tracking, it was revealed that Mr. A had actually received bribes and provided investigative favors.
Specifically, investigations showed that Mr. A received 50 million won each, totaling 100 million won, in September 2023 and January 2024, from suspects facing charges of cocaine smuggling and synthetic marijuana smuggling, respectively, in exchange for investigative favors such as non-detention.
Furthermore, the prosecution stated that in December 2023, he received 20 million won from a suspect in a synthetic marijuana trafficking case and the suspect's mother in exchange for quashing the case and non-detention. From May to August 2024, he pressured clothing importers, telling them "hundreds of millions of won in taxes and fines could be imposed," and received 25 million won from each of them in exchange for quashing investigations.
Investigations revealed that Mr. A approached suspects and their families to raise virtual currency investment funds, promising to "prevent detention even though drug smuggling is a serious crime that warrants arrest," "ensure that his spouse, a university professor, is not charged," and "terminate the case completely if cash is provided," thereby demanding bribes.
The prosecution first indicted and detained Mr. A on February 27 on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and subsequently filed additional charges today after further investigation into other offenses. Those who gave bribes to Mr. A were also referred to trial today on charges of bribery.
The prosecution also plans to review whether to conduct additional investigations into cases handled by Mr. A during his tenure as investigation team leader and his account transaction history during that period.
The prosecution emphasized that judicial control over special judicial police investigations is necessary to prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
Previously, a bill to establish a public prosecution service, which includes the abolition of prosecutors' command and supervision authority over special judicial police, passed the National Assembly plenary session on March 20.
The Central District Prosecutors' Office pointed out, "The internal investigation report for this case showed no record of an investigation into customs evasion charges, nor was the case reported to the prosecution; it was concluded internally. Since the case was never formally received by the prosecution, we had no knowledge of its existence."
It added, "It is necessary to establish mechanisms to monitor and check the proper exercise of special judicial police investigative powers. As the Public Prosecution Service Act, which aims to abolish the command and supervision authority over special judicial police, has recently passed, judicial control over special judicial police is expected to weaken. Therefore, sufficient discussion and review are needed in the future institutional design process."
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