Drug ring busted for making meth with cold medicine

Police busted a suspected criminal ring in Seoul that allegedly made methamphetamine using cold medicine, producing 1.36 kilograms between April 2025 and June this year. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the drugs were worth an estimated 4.2 billion won and that 13 suspects were referred to prosecutors on drug-related charges. Investigators seized the methamphetamine before it was distributed, along with pseudoephedrine and manufacturing equipment. The group began production in an abandoned apartment, and police started apprehending suspects in June after an undercover investigation.

A traditional Korean medicine pharmacist allegedly sold the group 10,610 bottles of cold medicine containing 636,600 pills between January and June.

Investigators seized 635 grams of pseudoephedrine as well as equipment used to manufacture drugs.

The group’s leader had previously been imprisoned for producing methamphetamine with cold medicine in 2021.

Police were tipped off about the scheme in December after the group began producing methamphetamine in April of the previous year.

Published Nov 3, 2026 2:59 pm KST

Equipments used in illegal methamphetamine production are shown in this photo released by Seoul Metropolitan Policy Agency, Tuesday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

Police said Tuesday they have busted a criminal ring suspected of manufacturing billions of won worth of methamphetamine using cold medicine.

The group allegedly bought large quantities of cold medicine to extract pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to illegally make methamphetamine, and produced 1.36 kilograms of the drug between April 2025 and June this year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The amount is estimated to be worth 4.2 billion won ($3.1 million) and can be taken simultaneously by 40,000 people.

Police have referred 13 suspects involved in the scheme, including the group's five members, to the prosecution on drug-related charges.

The group had used an abandoned apartment to begin producing the drug in April last year before investigators were tipped off about the scheme in December. Police began apprehending the suspects in June after an undercover investigation.

Investigators found that a traditional Korean medicine pharmacist and five other suspects helped the group manufacture the drugs.

The pharmacist was found to have sold the group 10,610 bottles of cold medicine, containing 636,600 pills, between January and June.

Investigators said they seized the 1.36 kg of methamphetamine before distribution as well as 635 grams of pseudoephedrine and drug manufacturing equipment.

The drug ring leader had previously been imprisoned for producing methamphetamine with cold medicine in 2021.

首尔警方捣毁了一个涉嫌利用感冒药制造冰毒的犯罪团伙，该团伙在2025年4月至今年6月期间生产了1.36公斤冰毒。首尔地方警察厅表示，这批毒品价值约42亿韩元，13名嫌疑人已被移送检方，面临与毒品相关的指控。调查人员在冰毒分销前将其缴获，同时还缴获了伪麻黄碱和制毒设备。该团伙最初在一间废弃公寓内进行制毒活动，警方在6月份经过卧底调查后开始抓捕嫌疑人。

据称，一名韩国传统医药药剂师在1月至6月期间向该团体出售了10610瓶感冒药，共计636600粒药丸。

调查人员缴获了 635 克伪麻黄碱以及用于制造毒品的设备。

该团伙头目曾于 2021 年因用感冒药制造冰毒而被判入狱。

去年12月，警方接到线报，得知该团伙在前一年4月开始制造冰毒。

发布于2026年11月3日下午2:59（韩国标准时间）

首尔地方警察厅周二公布的这张照片展示了用于非法制造冰毒的设备。照片由首尔地方警察厅提供。

警方周二表示，他们捣毁了一个涉嫌利用感冒药制造价值数十亿韩元冰毒的犯罪团伙。

据首尔地方警察厅称，该团伙涉嫌大量购买感冒药以提取伪麻黄碱（一种用于非法制造冰毒的化学物质），并在 2025 年 4 月至今年 6 月期间生产了 1.36 公斤冰毒。

这笔款项估计价值 42 亿韩元（310 万美元），可供 4 万人同时领取。

警方已将参与该计划的 13 名嫌疑人（包括该团伙的 5 名成员）移交检方，以毒品相关罪名起诉。

该团伙利用一间废弃公寓从去年4月开始制毒，直到12月调查人员接到线报才有所察觉。经过卧底调查，警方于6月开始抓捕嫌疑人。

调查人员发现，一名韩国传统医药药剂师和其他五名嫌疑人帮助该团伙制造了这些毒品。

经查明，该药剂师在 1 月至 6 月期间向该团体出售了 10,610 瓶感冒药，共计 636,600 粒药片。

调查人员称，他们在分销前缴获了 1.36 公斤冰毒、635 克伪麻黄碱和制毒设备。

该贩毒团伙头目曾于 2021 年因用感冒药制造冰毒而被判入狱。