Police in South Korea are looking into 17 US soldiers and five other alleged users of artificial weed who reportedly smuggled or used it through military mail.
With least two US military bases, including Camp Humphreys, the country’s largest international center, were raided in May.
Lawyers are currently reviewing the cases against all 22 offenders, and two Filipinos and a South Korean have been detained.
A four-month research by Korean authorities had been sparked by a tip from the police branch of the US Army.
According to US media, Cha Min-seok, a top policeman in South Korea, was involved in one of the largest operations involving American soldiers in recent memory.
At the homes of the 22 suspects, South Korean police and the US Army’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted joint raids and discovered 77g ( 2. 7oz ) of synthetic cannabis, more than 4kg of” mixed liquids” used for vaping, and a total of$ 12, 850(£ 10,440 ) in cash.
They are charged with using the US government’s postal service to smuggle artificial marijuana, also known as K2 and Spice, into the nation.
According to the New York Times, seven of them — including five soldiers — are believed to have participated in the sale of the drugs, while 12 were users and three served as middlemen. The family of a soldier and the fiancée of another soldier were also involved, it was added.
According to the police, the 17 men are currently stationed at Camp Casey, an army island located 40 kilometers north of Seoul, and Camp Humphreys, which is located about 48 kilometers( miles ) south of the nation’s capital.
They reportedly used Snapchat to communicate while dispersing the medications on the bases.
THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, is mimicked in artificial marijuana.
Although it has similar effects to cannabis, it is generally more potent and has been linked to negative health effects like extreme agitation, paranoid delusions, and acute schizophrenic episodes.
Because it is frequently used in liquid form in authorized e-cigarette products, the police said, it can be challenging to identify.
People who are found guilty of trafficking cannabis in South Korea could spend five to seven years in jail. Drug possession carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, or an additional fine of about 50 million pounds($ 37, 200,£ 30, 300 ).
