Busan: A Taiwanese national has been sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine from Cambodia into South Korea, a district court said Sunday. The man, in his 70s, was accused of transporting 5.1 kilograms of meth through Gimhae International Airport in the southeastern port city of Busan. He allegedly obtained the meth in a suitcase with three backpacks in front of a hotel in Cambodia on March 22.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the methamphetamine was valued at approximately 511.3 million won (US$378,000). During the trial, the accused claimed ignorance of the methamphetamine in his possession, asserting that he believed the suitcase contained "security tokens." He stated that a British man, introduced to him by an acquaintance, claimed to work for the International Monetary Fund and offered US$1 million for delivering the suitcase as part of a supposed money laundering scheme.

The Busan District Court, however, convicted the Taiwanese man, stating that he was at least aware of the potential for the suitcase to contain drugs, based on his trial statements. The court emphasized the significant quantity of methamphetamine involved, noting that the defendant denied the charges and failed to reflect on his actions.