Drug gangs have turned South Korean Telegram channels into an “online drugstore” and a “playground” for young Koreans, media outlets reported on April 28.
The Seoul Kyungjae newspaper noted that it has been almost a year since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for an “all-out war” on drug dealing using cryptocurrencies.
Yoon’s comments came after police reported dozens of cases of teenagers and young people in their 20s dealing drugs.
However, it now appears that some Telegram channel operators are aware that the police are monitoring their channels – and are responding by openly “mocking the police.”
Multiple Telegram channels appear to openly advertise nationwide deliveries of drugs such as methamphetamine (ice), ecstasy, and other narcotics.
Dozens of Korean X (Twitter) accounts direct social media users to these Telegram channels.
Media outlets suggest that Telegram has effectively become an online “department store” for young drug buyers.
One drug distribution gang was quoted as “mocking” police officers by writing:
The police still admit that it is “difficult to track Telegram users.”
Authorities have spent millions of dollars on blockchain network surveillance tools and Telegram monitoring.
This has yielded results, with police last week announcing a major bust in Busan.
Police arrested 49 people, alleging that the group operated 11 Telegram channels and used cryptocurrencies as a means of payment.
Despite this, the vast majority of similar channels appear to still be operating at the time of writing, with media outlets suggesting that many Telegram chatrooms “appear to have become a ‘playground’ for drug dealers.”
