Drug ring busted for making meth with cold medicine

Seoul police have dismantled a criminal organization involved in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine using cold medicine, according to a report on November 3 by Yonhap. The group allegedly acquired large quantities of cold medicine, extracting pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth production, resulting in the creation of 1.36 kilograms of the drug between April 2025 and June of the same year.

This amount is estimated to have a street value of 4.2 billion won (approximately US$3.1 million) and can be consumed by up to 40,000 individuals. Thirteen suspects, including the group's five members, have been referred to prosecutors on drug-related charges. The operation began in an abandoned apartment in April 2024, with investigators alerted in December.

Intrusion occurred in June following an undercover probe. It emerged that a traditional Korean medicine pharmacist and five other suspects facilitated the drug manufacturing process. The pharmacist sold the group 10,610 bottles of cold medicine, containing 636,600 pills, from January to June. The 1.36 kg of methamphetamine, along with 635 grams of pseudoephedrine and drug-making equipment, were seized before distribution.

The leader of the drug ring had previously served time for a similar methamphetamine production case in 2021.