- South Korea will develop a system to trace drug trafficking associated to cryptocurrencies.
- The Ministry of Science, Data and Communications plans to equip police with superior analytical instruments to fight trendy drug trafficking.
- The usage of cryptocurrencies for unlawful actions has steadily elevated lately and can attain $158 billion by 2025.
South Korea has launched a large-scale crackdown on drug trafficking associated to digital currencies and the darknet. The nation’s Ministry of Science, Data and Communications, in collaboration with the Nationwide Police Company, introduced on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, that it’ll develop a system that makes use of nameless instruments to hurry up investigations into drug trafficking networks.
South Korea fights drug crimes associated to cryptocurrencies and the darkish internet
Two South Korean authorities companies say 13.2 billion received (roughly $9.1 million) will probably be spent on a brand new analysis and improvement undertaking to develop an built-in drug trafficking investigation system.
Oh Dae-hyun, Director-Basic of Future Technique and Know-how Coverage on the Ministry of Science, Data and Communications, mentioned superior evaluation is the important thing to combating new crimes. These companies will sponsor problem contests by means of March 3, 2026.
Over the subsequent three years, the 2 companies will deliver collectively technical consultants to analysis and develop a system that analyzes darkish internet postings and associated cryptocurrency transactions to profile and observe traffickers. Moreover, the nation has recorded a pointy rise in drug trafficking instances, spurred by the introduction of digital currencies and darkish web sites.
Oh Dae-hyun mentioned, “In an effort to cope with new forms of drug crimes that mix nameless environments such because the darkish internet and Telegram with digital belongings, it’s important to have superior evaluation expertise.We are going to proceed to make the most of science and expertise to strengthen the muse for coping with new forms of crimes.”
Why now?
The necessity to develop a complicated system in South Korea to assist regulation enforcement authorities fight drug trafficking organizations stems from international strain. America is placing strain on governments to rein in drug lords, as evidenced by the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Final month, the Korea Customs Service introduced {that a} whole of 1,256 smuggling instances and three,318 kilograms of unlawful medicine had been seized throughout border patrols in 2025. Notably, in 2025, the variety of drug smuggling instances jumped by 46% in comparison with the earlier yr, and the overall weight of medicine smuggled elevated by 321%.
A latest report from TRM Labs exhibits that illicit cryptocurrency buying and selling quantity hit a brand new all-time excessive of roughly $158 billion in 2025. The report famous that Western sanctions have considerably contributed to the usage of crypto belongings in darkish internet drug trafficking operations.
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