South Korean police and Interpol have rounded up 29 drug offenders across Southeast Asia and confiscated drugs worth some 1.4 trillion won (US$1.04 billion) as part of a joint international crackdown, officials said Wednesday.

The National Police Agency said it has successfully carried out the joint drug crackdown with Interpol, codenamed “LIONFISH-MAYAG?,” in the Golden Triangle region straddling Thailand, Myanmar and Laos for 16 days from July 22-Aug. 7.

The NPA has been carrying out such anti-drug “MAYAG” projects in cooperation with Interpol since last year in order to beef up international cooperation as most drugs circulated in South Korea are smuggled from overseas.

Seven countries, including the United States, Cambodia and Australia, took part in the operation that resulted in the detainment of 29 drug offenders and seizure of synthetic narcotics worth some 1.4 trillion won.

Among the confiscated drugs were 1.5 tons of ketamine, suggesting the Golden Triangle region is the main origin of the narc
otic, officials said.

During the operation, the South Korean police also nabbed the main suspect accused of smuggling drugs from Thailand into the country by exchanging information with participating countries in real time.

“We could learn through this operation the means of how the drug suppliers smuggle synthetic drugs and raw materials,” said Jurgen Stock, secretary general of Interpol, adding cooperation with Interpol facilitated the real-time information swap between participating countries and raised the efficacy of the operation.

A National Police Agency official said it will continue to expand international cooperation in the Southeast Asian region, the main source of drugs coming into the country.

Source: Yonhap News Agency