Chapter 3 Drug Offenders

Section 1 Trends in Offenses

1 Stimulants Control Act violations

Fig. 3-3-1-1 shows the number of persons cleared for Stimulants Control Act (Act No. 252 of 1951) violations (including Act on Special Provisions for Narcotics violations concerning stimulants; hereinafter the same in this section) from 1951. Stimulants abuse first commenced during the chaotic postwar period and the number of persons cleared reached its first peak at more than 50 thousand in 1954, but then decreased sharply. It was pointed out that stricter penal provisions, clearance, and thorough implementation of educational campaigns on the harmful influence of stimulants, etc. would be the background for such a drastic decrease. However, the number of persons cleared then started to increase from 1970, reaching its second peak of 24,372 in 1984. It then turned to a decreasing trend again, falling below 20,000 in 1989, and remained stable until 1994. It started increasing again from 1995 and reached nearly 20,000 in 1997. The number, however, has generally been on a decreasing trend since 2001.

Fig. 3-3-1-1 Number of persons cleared for Stimulants Control Act violations (1951-2009)

Fig. 3-3-1-1

Fig. 3-3-1-2 shows the number of persons cleared (limited to those cleared by the police) for Stimulants Control Act violations by age group over the last 30 years. The number of cleared persons aged 20-29 was the highest of all age groups between 1985 and 2001, but has been on a significant decreasing trend since then. From 2002 the number of those aged 30-39 was the largest. The number of cleared persons younger than 20 has been on a decreasing trend since 1998, but in 2009 increased by 3.2% from the previous year.

Fig. 3-3-1-2 Number of persons cleared for Stimulants Control Act violations by age group (1980-2009)

Fig. 3-3-1-2

Table 3-3-1-3 shows the number of persons cleared for Stimulants Control Act violations (limited to those cleared by the police) in 2009, and among them, the numbers of those cleared for offenses with the purpose of profit (for-profit offenders), Boryokudan members, etc. (refers to regular members and quasi-members of Boryokudan; hereinafter the same in this subsection) and foreign national offenders (by their nationality, etc.) by type of violation. The percentage of those cleared for Stimulants Control Act violations with the purpose of profit was 6.5% in 2009. The percentage of Boryokudan members, etc. has been increasing since 2003, reaching over 50% from 2005, and was 53.2% in 2009 (See the Appendix). The percentage of foreign national offenders was 6.1% in 2009. By their nationality, etc., the largest number came from South/North Korea (29.6%), followed by Brazil (13.7%), Iran (13.2%), and the Philippines (11.4%).

Table 3-3-1-3 Number of persons cleared for Stimulants Control Act violations: number of for-profit offenders, number of Boryokudan members, etc. and number of foreign nationals (by nationality, etc.), by type of violation (2009)

Table 3-3-1-3