Officer who leaked drug investigation secrets to informant faces arrest

An active-duty police inspector suspected of leaking drug investigation details to an informant is facing possible arrest. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to take over the case from Gangdong Police Station, which has been handling the investigation, and conduct a focused probe into the officer.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Monday that it had transferred the case from Gangdong Police Station to its Metropolitan Investigation Unit's anti-corruption team on July 29 "for a more rigorous investigation."

The inspector, identified only as A, is suspected of violating laws on the disclosure of official secrets and was undergoing a pre-arrest hearing Monday. A, who worked on the drug investigation team at Gwangjin Police Station, is accused of passing internal information — including updates on ongoing investigations — to B, an informant in one of A's drug cases.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, after receiving a tip about the suspected leak of internal investigation information, directed Gangdong Police Station — where A had previously been stationed — to open an investigation.

Gangdong Police Station booked A on charges of disclosing official secrets, carried out a search and seizure and imposed a travel ban. A was placed on standby duty on July 2 and removed from their post on July 10.

Police obtained additional information about other alleged misconduct by A from the government's joint drug crime investigation task force on July 15, filed additional charges and conducted further searches. "We will investigate strictly in accordance with the law and principles," a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said.