A South Korean court has sentenced a 90-year-old woman to one year in prison for assisting her imprisoned son in laundering drug proceeds. The Incheon District Court also ordered the forfeiture of 386 million won (approximately $260,000 or €220,000) that she laundered on her son's behalf, highlighting the severe consequences of financial crimes linked to narcotics.

The court found that the woman knowingly received and transferred funds connected to drug offenses. Prosecutors revealed she received the 386 million won from unidentified individuals on nine occasions between April 2020 and February 2022, then transferred the money to bank accounts designated by her son. The judge emphasized the significant social harm caused by narcotics crimes and the need for strict punishment, noting that her actions hindered the tracing of illicit profits and contributed to the spread of drugs.

In sentencing, however, the court considered mitigating factors such as the woman's advanced age and lack of prior drug-related convictions. Her son, a 60-something drug trafficking ringleader, was arrested in Cambodia in July 2020 on charges including methamphetamine possession and remains incarcerated there, with investigators believing his drug operations continued during his imprisonment.

The court dismissed the woman's claim of ignorance about the crime's nature, citing evidence including her five trips to Cambodia in 2019 and phone notifications about her son's detention. This case underscores the legal accountability for money laundering in drug-related activities, even among elderly family members, and reflects ongoing challenges in combating transnational narcotics networks.

Source: www.dw.com