INCHEON 15 April 2026 (The Capital Post) – A South Korean court has sentenced a 90-year-old woman to prison after finding her guilty of laundering drug proceeds linked to her son’s narcotics trafficking activities.
The Incheon District Court ruled that the woman knowingly received and transferred large sums of money derived from drug-related crimes on behalf of her son, who is currently imprisoned overseas in connection with drug offences.
According to court findings, she handled hundreds of millions of won through multiple bank transactions over a period of time, acting on instructions from her son while he continued coordinating illicit operations from abroad. Authorities said the transfers helped conceal the origin of the illegal funds and made it harder for investigators to trace the money trail.
The court sentenced her to one year in prison and ordered the forfeiture of approximately 386 million won (about US$260,000), stressing the seriousness of drug-related financial crimes.
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During proceedings, the judge noted that despite her age, evidence showed she was aware of the suspicious nature of the funds, including repeated overseas visits and communications linked to her son’s detention.
However, the court also acknowledged mitigating factors such as her advanced age, lack of prior criminal record, and the fact that she acted under her son’s instructions.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to the defendant’s age and the unusual nature of her involvement in a serious narcotics-related financial crime, highlighting South Korea’s strict enforcement stance against drug offences.-The Capital Post