AROUND 20 Filipino seafarers were placed under investigation in South Korea following the seizure of approximately two tonnes of cocaine in a cargo vessel, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
In a radio interview, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the 20 Filipinos are crewmen of Norwegian-flagged cargo vessels that came from Mexico and traveled to Ecuador, Panama, and China before docking in South Korea.
One of them was the vessel’s captain.
Cacdac said authorities are looking into the involvement of the Filipino seafarers into drug smuggling, noting that it was the biggest drug haul in the history of South Korea.
He said the illegal drugs were found in a hidden compartment in the vessel’s engine room.
The information regarding the illegal drugs reportedly came from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations.
Cacdac said they are currently in coordination with the families of the crewmen.
He also assured the provision of all the necessary assistance to the seafarers, including lawyers. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)