Seventeen American soldiers stationed in South Korea are being investigated by South Korean police for “suspicion of illegal drug behavior,” U.S. forces in South Korea announced Wednesday.
• Also read: A former torture center is included in UNESCO
• Also read: South Korea: This weapons factory could play a key role in Ukraine
Two women involved in the case, a South Korean and a Filipina, were arrested on suspicion of smuggling drugs from the United States through the military mail system, South Korea’s Yonhap Agency said.
The two women were involved in the consumption, sale and distribution of the banned substances, the authority added.
The seventeen American soldiers have been referred to prosecutors and could face charges, according to Yonhap.
In a statement, the United States Armed Forces of Korea (USFK) said it was aware of South Korean police’s investigation of “17 soldiers for alleged illegal drug behavior and abuse of the Army’s mail system.”
No soldiers have currently been arrested in connection with this incident, it said.
According to Yonhap, South Korean police seized $12,850 in drug profits from the suspects as well as 80 ml of synthetic cannabis.
Smoking synthetic cannabis, one of the most strictly regulated psychoactive substances in South Korea, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of 100 million won ($75,332).
Selling cannabis is a crime punishable by life in prison.
The USFK asserted that it “does not tolerate conduct by its personnel that violates South Korean laws, regulations and policies” and that it supports this investigation.
Around 28,500 US soldiers are stationed in South Korea.