Pots of cannabis grown in Yongin, Gyeonggi, that were confiscated by policeYONGIN DONGBU POLICE STATION
Two cousins have been detained for allegedly growing cannabis at two villas in Yongin, Gyeonggi, and processing it into products such as marijuana, cannabis gummies and cannabis liquid, and selling the products through the messaging platform Telegram.
The two men had been detained and are under investigation on charges including violations of the Narcotics Control Act, the Yongin Dongbu Police Station said on Thursday.
They reportedly purchased cannabis seeds from overseas websites and grew the plants in pots. The resulting products were sold through Telegram for between 500,000 won ($350) and 1 million won per transaction, with customers paying in cash or cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
The pair tried to avoid detection by having packages delivered to addresses that were not their own. Once the pair received a text message confirming a delivery, they would secretly retrieve the package from the address.
Their operation was uncovered after a resident became suspicious and contacted the police. Investigators questioned people in the area and reviewed surveillance footage before apprehending both suspects on Aug. 6.
Police seized 35 cannabis plants that were being cultivated, 2.3 kilograms (5.1 pounds) of marijuana, 2.15 million won in cash and 17 million won worth of cryptocurrency.
Processed cannabis in Yongin, Gyeonggi, that was confiscated by policeYONGIN DONGBU POLICE STATION
The 2.3 kilograms of seized marijuana had an estimated street value of 230 million won and was reportedly enough for around 4,600 people to use at the same time.
Both suspects also tested positive for cannabis, according to police.
The two men, who did not have regular jobs, reportedly admitted to the allegations during questioning.
“We committed the crime because we wanted to make a lot of money and become rich,” they told the police.
Police are continuing to investigate people suspected of purchasing marijuana and cannabis gummies from the pair.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
