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Coast Guard to intensify crackdown on intl. crimes ahead of PyeongChang Olympics
By YonhapPublished : Oct. 31, 2017 - 13:34
INCHEON -- South Korea will step up its crackdown on smuggling and other international crimes as the country expects a surge in the number of foreign visitors ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.
The 60-day special crackdown starting Wednesday is the largest one on international crimes since the Coast Guard got its name and status back in July after being dismantled in 2014.
During the crackdown, the Coast Guard will place under investigation such international crimes as illegal entry, smuggling of guns and narcotics, and foreign organized crime rings.
The Coast Guard will also deal with foreign people who enter the country and stay without a legitimate permit on South Korea's resort island of Jeju, which allows visa-free entry to foreign visitors.
It will pay compensation of up to 10 million won ($8,920) to providers of tips that lead to the arrest of perpetrators in cases of international crimes.
In the January-October period, the Coast Guard apprehended 77 perpetrators involved in seven cases of smuggling, 16 cases of illegal entries and 54 cases of drug trafficking.
"We will strengthen our efforts to crack down on international crimes so that people around the world can enjoy the Olympics," said Kim Sung-jong, chief of foreign affairs at the Coast Guard.
The first Winter Olympics in South Korea ever are scheduled to be held from Feb. 9-25 in the host city of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, and two nearby cities -- Gangneung and Jeongseon. (Yonhap)
