Since September, packages containing ketamine, disguised as tea bags, have been discovered washing ashore on South Korea's Jeju island. Approximately 28 kilograms (62 lbs) of the drug, wrapped in foil and labeled with the Chinese character for tea, have been found on at least eight separate occasions.
On October 15, a beach cleaner located 20 kilograms of these packages, representing the largest single discovery, along the coast of Seogwipo in southern Jeju. Earlier this week, a joint team comprising over 800 soldiers, police officers, and civilian volunteers was deployed to search beaches in Jeju City, located on the island's northern coast.
Ketamine is medically used as an anesthetic; however, its recreational use is prohibited in South Korea. Misuse of the substance can lead to severe physical and mental health issues, including damage to the heart and lungs.
The Jeju Coast Guard has established a task force to investigate potential sea and land routes involved in the drugs' entry into the country. Authorities have advised residents against touching or opening any suspicious objects found on the shore, instructing them to report such discoveries to the police.
Investigators are currently exploring the possibility that the packages drifted to Jeju via ocean currents. Similar discoveries of 'tea bag drugs' have been reported in Pohang, another city in South Korea, and on Tsushima island in Japan.