South Korean Grandmother, 90, Jailed for Laundering Drug Money
A court in South Korea has sentenced a 90-year-old woman to one year in prison for aiding her son in laundering profits from drug trafficking. The Incheon District Court ordered the forfeiture of 386 million won (£192,800) that the grandmother knowingly received and transferred between April 2019 and February 2022. Her son, identified as Song, is currently serving a prison sentence in Cambodia for trafficking methamphetamine into Southeast Asia. Prosecutors established that the woman accepted cash from unidentified individuals and remitted it to designated accounts at her son's direction, who communicated with accomplices from prison. Although the defendant claimed ignorance regarding the illicit nature of the funds, the judge ruled that her multiple visits to Cambodia and knowledge of her son's detention proved her awareness. The court emphasized the serious societal impact of drug crimes but considered her advanced age and lack of prior convictions in sentencing. Additionally, Song’s daughter was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the transfer of illicit funds. Authorities are currently seeking Song’s extradition to South Korea to face further charges related to his criminal enterprise.
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South Korean Grandmother, 90, Jailed for Laundering Drug Money
A court in South Korea has sentenced a 90-year-old woman to one year in prison for aiding her son in laundering profits from drug trafficking. The Incheon District Court ordered the forfeiture of 386 million won (£192,800) that the grandmother knowingly received and transferred between April 2019 and February 2022. Her son, identified as Song, is currently serving a prison sentence in Cambodia for trafficking methamphetamine into Southeast Asia. Prosecutors established that the woman accepted cash from unidentified individuals and remitted it to designated accounts at her son's direction, who communicated with accomplices from prison. Although the defendant claimed ignorance regarding the illicit nature of the funds, the judge ruled that her multiple visits to Cambodia and knowledge of her son's detention proved her awareness. The court emphasized the serious societal impact of drug crimes but considered her advanced age and lack of prior convictions in sentencing. Additionally, Song’s daughter was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the transfer of illicit funds. Authorities are currently seeking Song’s extradition to South Korea to face further charges related to his criminal enterprise.
independent