Police set to launch intensive drug crackdown at clubs

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Starting from Aug. 1, police will launch an intensive crackdown on drugs for three months, with their main focus on targeting drug use in clubs to combat narcotics circulation via entertainment venues.

The Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation on Monday said the action comes amid concerns that drugs could be widely distributed and used in clubs at popular vacation spots across the nation.

Under the scheme, officials plan to intensify their efforts in collecting details and data about places where drugs are being sold and used through more rigorous monitoring. They will also conduct patrols by teaming up with related agencies near places suspected of distributing and using illegal drugs.

If police receive reports regarding drugs at clubs or similar entertainment establishments, local police, mobile patrol officers, the mobile detective division for violent crimes and the police's narcotics investigation team will immediately respond to address the issue so that they can arrest drug users and trace their suppliers.

"Police will offer rewards to individuals who report and protect them, so we ask for the public's active interest in reporting drug crimes," a police official was quoted as saying.

Authorities also warned that business owners who aided and abetted the distribution or use of drugs at their facilities would face administrative action, such as suspension of business operations. Officials did not elaborate on how long they would have to close their doors.

Apart from the rigorous clampdown, police said they would strengthen drug prevention to raise awareness.

In the second half of the year, each provincial police agency's women and youth division will distribute portable drug detection kits to residents, allowing them to quickly detect illegal substances in drinks. Police did not provide further details of the plan. Officials will also send messages to students and their parents telling them to refrain from using drugs in clubs during the summer vacation period.

Meanwhile, the number of drug offenders nabbed in clubs and similar establishments has soared over the years, according to police. In the first half of this year alone, some 287 people were caught, up from 161 in 2021. The full-year figures for 2022 and 2023 were 454 and 686, respectively.