Two Iranians arrested for drug smuggling

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- Two Iranians have been arrested for smuggling opium and other prohibited drugs valued at about 60 million won (US$43,500) into South Korea, police said Tuesday.

An unidentified Iranian-Korean man and his Iranian friend are suspected of
smuggling narcotics, including opium and Philopon, into South Korea through
Incheon International Airport last week and selling the drugs to other foreigners
living here, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.
Three women, including a Russian who bought the illegal drug from them, have also
been arrested, according to police.
The suspects allegedly passed airport security checks by swallowing the
narcotics. They are accused of dividing the drugs into several small packages
weighing 20 to 50 grams each before swallowing them to pass airport security
checks. They threw the drugs up after arriving at a hotel room in Seoul, police
said.
The accused have allegedly sold the narcotics to foreign women working in bars or
clubs around Itaewon in central Seoul.
"They first offered the drugs to foreigners for free or at lower price to make
them addicted. And then they raised the price," a police officer said.