Special judicial police officers from the Seoul Customs Service, who should be at the frontlines of smuggling crackdowns, were shocked to be indicted on charges of receiving tens of millions of won in bribes in exchange for smuggling out 379 bottles of seized high-end wine on July 27, 2026.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Acting Chief Prosecutor Park Hyang-cheol) announced that it had indicted officers A and B, both belonging to the Seoul Customs Service's special judicial police unit, on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Crimes (bribery and facilitation of bribery). In August 2023, they approached wine dealer C and received 30 million won upfront, claiming they would smuggle out 379 bottles of seized smuggled wine, and subsequently demanded an additional 40 million won. Those responsible for ensuring fairness in smuggling crackdowns and handling directly participated in illegal transactions.

According to the prosecution investigation, officers A and B exploited a systemic loophole that allows customs to dispose of seized food and beverage items without public auction procedures. They reportedly planned a so-called "bottle switch" method to replace high-end smuggled wines with cheaper wines and smuggle them out. The severity of the corruption is significant given that civil servants, who should serve the public interest, attempted to privately misappropriate state property.

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However, their meticulous criminal plan ultimately failed. When an order came down from the prosecutor to return the seized wine, the wine-switching attempt fell through, and to make matters worse, an internal tip-off from wine dealer C led to the full exposure of their bribery and facilitation charges. Officer A went further by fabricating a false report in March 2022 and illegally receiving a reward of 75 million won, confirming a deep-rooted corruption network.

An Dong-geon, First Vice Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, stated during a prosecution briefing that "without the prosecutor's order to return the seized items, the wine-switching crime would have been conducted covertly, and it would have been difficult for the full scope to be revealed." He emphasized that "this case clearly demonstrates how necessary the prosecution's investigative guidance and check system for primary investigative agencies is," highlighting that the prosecution's role was essential in preventing corruption among customs special judicial police officers.

Vice Chief Prosecutor An also expressed deep concerns about the Public Prosecution Procedures Act scheduled to be implemented in October 2026 and the Criminal Procedure Act amendment currently under discussion in the National Assembly. He warned that "if the prosecutor's power of restraint is weakened, there is a high possibility that public official corruption crimes like this case could be concealed or covered up from the early stages of investigation," reiterating the importance of checks and balances within the judicial system. The article concluded by underscoring the importance of the judicial system for the transparency of investigative agencies, which is directly linked to public trust.