South Korea extradites jailed fugitive in cross-border narcotics crackdown
Seoul- South Korea police on Wednesday took into custody an alleged “drug lord” accused of running a narcotics trafficking network from a prison in the Philippines, following his temporary extradition under a bilateral treaty, officials said.
The suspect, Park Wang-yeol, was serving a 60-year sentence for the murder of three South Koreans when he was transferred to Seoul for investigation.
Authorities said the extradition was arranged after President Lee Jae Myung requested cooperation from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr during a summit earlier.
Officials from South Korea’s foreign and justice ministries said the transfer was conducted under a temporary clause that suspends the inmate’s sentence in the Philippines to allow prosecution at home. Park arrived in Seoul under police escort and was immediately placed in custody.
Authorities allege that Park, believed to be 47, orchestrated a drug trafficking operation from prison, coordinating with accomplices in South Korea to smuggle and distribute large quantities of illegal narcotics.
Justice ministry and police officials declined to confirm details regarding the scale or financial value of the operation. However, some local media reports have estimated that the network distributed up to 60 kilograms of methamphetamine per month, with a street value of around 30 billion won (about $20 million).
South Korea has reported a steady rise in illegal drug use in recent years, despite stringent enforcement measures and crackdowns targeting imports and domestic distribution networks.
Security concerns over prison operationsOfficials said Park had escaped from Philippine custody twice, citing lapses in prison supervision that allegedly allowed inmates access to smuggled mobile phones to continue criminal activities.
In a statement, South Korea’s foreign ministry said bringing Park to trial domestically was necessary to prevent similar cases of criminals directing illegal operations while incarcerated abroad.
President Lee also expressed gratitude to Marcos, stating that authorities would pursue individuals harming the country “to the end of the earth.
”Philippine officials were not immediately available for comment.
