Senior Superintendent Baek Hae-ryong’s allegations of “external pressure in customs drug investigations” have drawn attention as some Malaysian couriers, arrested for smuggling methamphetamine by Baek’s team, recently stated that “customs officers did not assist in drug importation.” Prosecutors are investigating the veracity of these claims, as reported on the 23rd. Baek, then head of the criminal investigation unit at Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Police Station, claimed that while investigating a drug smuggling case in 2023, he secured statements from Malaysian couriers implicating Incheon Customs officials and faced external pressure when attempting to expand the probe. However, a joint police-prosecution task force formed in June—shortly after President Lee Jae-myung’s inauguration—found that some couriers had retracted their prior statements. Baek has also alleged that the presidential office, prosecution, and police under former President Yoon Suk Yeol exerted pressure to cover up the case. Recently, he claimed that the former president and his spouse ran a “drug import business” to fund an insurrection. A legal insider noted, “Baek’s allegations stem from the couriers’ statements. If their testimonies waver, the case’s framework could collapse.”
**1. Can the drug couriers’ statements be trusted?**
Five Malaysian couriers linked to a drug organization were arrested by South Korean prosecutors and police between February and September 2023. Two were apprehended on September 9, 2023, by Baek’s team, while the remaining three were detained earlier by prosecutors in February. All five are now serving prison sentences.
The two arrested by Baek’s team stated during police questioning that on January 27, 2023, they arrived at Incheon Airport with methamphetamine hidden on their limbs, torso, and abdomen, and that customs officers assisted their entry and clearance. These two had previously entered South Korea multiple times to smuggle drugs. However, the third courier, arrested by prosecutors in February, also provided similar testimony.
The couriers claimed that on January 27, 2023, two men in customs uniforms waved at them and asked, “Are you from Malaysia?” They added that their flight was subject to a quarantine inspection but customs officers exempted them. One courier accidentally placed a 7 kg suitcase on a scanner, triggering an alarm, but a customs officer gestured for them to proceed.
According to data submitted by the Korea Customs Service to Rep. Chun Ha-ram of the Reform Restaurant Party, Baek’s team conducted an on-site verification, showing four customs officers who worked at Incheon Airport on January 27, 2023, to the two couriers. The couriers identified three of the four. However, one of the identified officers was confirmed to have taken annual leave that day, submitting a video of himself with his daughter and airport entry records proving he was not present.
The couriers also claimed customs officers escorted them to a taxi stand outside the airport. However, no records showed customs officers leaving the building that day. They further stated they followed a “green line” drawn on the floor to exit without inspection. The Customs Service clarified, “The green line was not installed in January 2023 but only in May of that year.”
The Customs Service noted, “Drug organizations often fabricate stories about bribing customs officers to reassure couriers.” The UN International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) warned, “False testimonies about corruption can undermine trust in drug enforcement and weaken crime-fighting efforts.” A police officer dispatched to the joint task force at the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office posted on an internal police network in July, “The couriers’ claims about customs involvement cannot be conclusively accepted as facts.” This officer was reportedly part of Baek’s team during the Yeongdeungpo investigation. However, some customs officers resetting their mobile phones during the probe have raised suspicions.
**2. Was there investigative obstruction or external pressure?**
Baek alleges the presidential office and police leadership tried to block the investigation into customs involvement. Immediately after securing the couriers’ statements in September 2023, his direct superior, then-Yeongdeungpo Station Chief Kim Chan-su (now a senior superintendent), allegedly instructed him to delay a press briefing, stating, “The presidential office is taking this seriously.” Senior Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency officials also reportedly urged the removal of references to “customs involvement” from press releases. Police executives acknowledged, “We did ask to omit customs-related content,” but explained, “We emphasized caution in public statements due to the lack of evidence beyond the couriers’ one-sided claims.” Kim denied mentioning the presidential office or the president.
Baek also claims prosecutors repeatedly rejected search and seizure warrants requested by police, obstructing the investigation. Prosecutors responded, “We approved most of the over 40 warrant requests, including those for bank accounts. We only requested corrections for errors.”
**3. Did the former president and his spouse engage in drug operations?**
This year, Baek claimed in YouTube interviews and media appearances that “the former president and his spouse ran a monopoly drug business to fund an insurrection.” However, he provided no direct evidence. When asked for proof last month, he stated, “These are my assumptions. If they had investigated me, I wouldn’t need to speak.” The former president’s office called the allegations “completely false.”