[Science of crime reading] ② Drugs also have fingerprints… Block smuggling with country of origin appraisal

“You cannot fake drug manufacturing even if you try. If it is supported by scientific logic or evidence, it will play a decisive role in prosecution.”

This is what the forensic analysis officers in the Forensic Science and Evaluation Office of the Public Prosecution Service mentioned the importance of the emotional function in drug crimes.

In drug crimes, the investigation does not end simply when drug ingredients are detected in the seized items.

Even if suspected narcotic items are seized, the investigation is often difficult as the suspect claims that he was not involved in manufacturing them.

The direction of the investigation also varies depending on whether the product was smuggled from overseas or manufactured directly domestically.

It is emotions that hold the key to the success of these drug investigations. Emotions play a decisive role at every stage, from the beginning of the investigation, to arresting and indicting the criminal, and tracing the background.

◇ The suspect denied manufacturing drugs… ‘White flag’ on precise analysis of confiscated goods and equipment

The Forensic Chemistry Office of the Public Prosecution Service analyzes the ingredients and manufacturing traces remaining in the confiscated items to reconstruct the crime, which is difficult to determine from the suspect's statement alone.

A representative example is the incident in 2024 where approximately 9.4 kg of Philopon, enough to be administered to approximately 310,000 people, was manufactured at an officetel near Suwon Station.

Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul urgently arrested two men suspected of manufacturing Philopon and sent them to custody on charges of violating the Narcotics Management Act.

One person confessed to the manufacturing process, but the other denied it, saying he had no knowledge of it.

It was confirmed that the substance found at the scene was methamphetamine, but evidence was needed to support the fact that it was manufactured there.

The Forensic Chemistry Office, which received a request for advice, analyzed the confiscated substances and tools to confirm the process and method of producing Philopon.

Appraiser Jeong Jae-cheol said, "We identified the manufacturing process of Philopon by analyzing the tools and equipment confiscated at the time," and added, "We explained the ingredients of the synthetic drug with data and revealed the manufacturing process, etc., which became a decisive basis."

They were caught manufacturing an additional 9.1kg of Philopon in addition to 9.4kg. The two men were sentenced to 30 and 25 years in prison, respectively, in the first trial.

◇ Tracking the distribution route of drugs using ‘fingerprints’… Detection of new drugs in hair

The Forensic Chemistry Laboratory detects drug components in urine and hair requested by investigative agencies and analyzes the types and components of confiscated drugs.

We also conduct ‘drug fingerprint analysis’ to find links between drugs confiscated in different cases.

It is a method of comparing the ingredients, purity, impurities, and appearance of drugs, just like finding a person's fingerprint.

By analyzing similarities between samples, it provides investigative agencies with clues to track manufacturing and distribution routes.

According to the Forensic Chemistry Office, there are about 700 to 800 drug tests per year, and about 60 drug fingerprint tests are conducted separately.

Hair analysis involves not only estimating whether or not medication will be administered, but also estimating the timing.

The Forensic Science Lab explained that the period can be analyzed by section based on the fact that hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm per month. The method is to determine when to administer the drug by looking at which section of the hair the drug was detected in.

As the pace of development of new drugs accelerates, analysis techniques to detect them are becoming more important.

In a case in 2023 where a police officer attending a drug meeting fell to his death at an apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the Forensic Science Office's evaluation served as the basis for additional indictments.

Yongsan Police Station, which initially investigated the case, requested samples of the suspects, including urine and hair, to be analyzed by the National Forensic Service, but the test results were negative and judged to be impossible for analysis.

Accordingly, the Forensic Chemistry Laboratory urgently transported new drug standards from overseas and analyzed them.

Of the total 19 suspects, 12 tested positive for a new type of drug, and based on this, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office indicted these 12 without detention.

Conversely, there is also a case where a person was misunderstood about drug administration and was cleared of his name after an evaluation by the Forensic Science Laboratory.

Last February, American national Mr. A was arrested after being investigated by the Incheon International Airport Customs Narcotics Investigation Department on charges of ketamine smuggling.

Mr. A claimed that the item he had was not a drug, but a mixture of baking soda and salt used to clean the nasal passages.

The Forensic Chemistry Laboratory analyzed the purity of the drug and found that the product was not a drug.

Afterwards, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (currently the Incheon District Public Prosecution Office) canceled the arrest and decided not to indict him.

An official from the Forensic Chemistry Office said, “It is presumed that the case occurred because customs did not properly clean the analysis equipment,” and added, “This is a case where drugs were discovered in a voice sample and the injustice was resolved through analysis.”

◇ Low-cost drugs flooding in from Southeast Asia… Public Prosecution Office “Blocked through precise origin analysis”

The Forensic Chemistry Office of the Public Prosecution Service is the only one in Korea that has a drug fingerprint analysis function that examines the origin of drugs.

It is an essential function for blocking drugs coming from overseas and tracking drug crime groups through international cooperation.

Appraisal Officer Kim Hee-seung explained, “Based on drug fingerprint analysis, we can confirm whether the origin of the drugs is the same or identical. The purpose is to block distribution in advance by providing this to investigative agencies.”

In particular, the importance of drug fingerprint analysis has been highlighted as the number of drugs manufactured and distributed has increased significantly, especially in Southeast Asian countries that are geographically close to Korea.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the amount of methamphetamine (philopon) confiscated in Southeast Asian countries last year was 159.15 tons in Thailand, 71.9 tons in Myanmar, 26.6 tons in Laos, and 44.6 tons in Malaysia.

The increase rate compared to 2024 is 269.4% in Malaysia, 158.6% in the Philippines, 95.5% in Laos, 72.9% in Myanmar, and 22.8% in Thailand.

The reason why Southeast Asian countries have emerged as new bases for drug manufacturing and distribution is because of their low prices.

For example, the price of synthetic drugs sold in Myanmar is only $450 (approximately 600,000 won) per 1 kg, but when the product is shipped to Thailand, the price skyrockets to $4,330 (approximately 5.79 million won), which is nearly 10 times higher, and to Australia, the price skyrockets to $180,000 (approximately 246,200,000 won), which is 400 times more.

It is against this background that prosecutors at the Public Prosecution Service express concerns about the integration of the drug analysis functions of the Public Prosecution Office and the National Forensic Service, which are raised by some in the political circles. This means that the emotional know-how and technical skills accumulated so far may regress due to the integration of institutions.

It is also pointed out that integrating the two organizations may have a negative impact on the reliability of the appraisal as it will be difficult to verify and complement each other's appraisal results.

There is also a case where a suspect in a drug case who had objected to the National Forensic Service's positive test result accepted the result after a re-evaluation by the Forensic Chemistry Office of the Public Prosecution Service revealed a positive test result.

In reality, multiple drug analysis agencies coexist overseas and play a complementary role.

Appraisal Officer Jeong Jae-cheol said, "I went to an academic conference held in China and found that there were over 400 drug analysis agencies in China alone. If applied to the population, our country would also need 20 to 30 agencies."

There is also a need to expand cooperation between domestic and foreign agencies to respond to new drugs.

The Forensic Chemistry Office of the Public Prosecution Service stores information on about 1,600 types of drug samples in a database and uses them as comparison data when analyzing suspected drug items.

Evaluators explain that it is possible to effectively respond to new drugs by comparing and analyzing these with drug samples held by overseas organizations while exchanging information on a regular basis with organizations in each country.

Appraisal Officer Jeong Jae-cheol said, “Multiple appraisal agencies must keep each other in check and complement appraisal results,” and added, “International cooperation is also essential to further develop appraisal technology.”