Two foreign male models who were indicted on charges of smuggling a large amount of methamphetamine into Korea from overseas under the promise of receiving support for travel expenses, etc., were sentenced to heavy prison sentences.
According to legal circles, the 5th Criminal Division of the Busan District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Hyun-soon) sentenced German national A and Spanish national B, who were indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (psychotherapy), to 11 years in prison each.
A and B are accused of smuggling two suitcases each containing 15.3 kg of methamphetamine into Gimhae Airport at approximately 1:30 PM on July 16, 2025. On June 20th of the same year, a month before the crime, they received an offer from an unidentified person using an online messenger in Germany: “Send two suitcases from Canada to Korea and I’ll pay for your travel expenses to Canada and compensation.” They picked up the suitcases on a road near their hotel in Toronto on July 14th, checked them in at Pearson International Airport, and then arrived at Gimhae International Airport via Hong Kong International Airport on July 16th.
The two planned to receive airfare and accommodation costs, as well as 20 million won in USDT (dollar-based stable coins), if they successfully smuggled the methamphetamine, worth over 3 billion won, into Korea. However, the smuggling attempt failed after they were caught by customs at the airport. The two claimed that they had only responded to an advertisement for a “free trip abroad” on social media and were completely unaware that the items inside the suitcases were drugs.
Chief Judge Kim stated, “Despite the significant amount of methamphetamine involved, the defendants consistently make incomprehensible excuses and continue to attempt to evade criminal punishment,” and ruled, “Severe punishment is necessary.”