Mysterious 'tea' packages found in East China Sea turn out to be 20kg of ketamine

"Mysterious" packages that washed ashore on a popular tourist island in the East China Sea earlier this month were discovered to contain 20kg of ketamine.

The packages, initially thought to contain tea, were found by a member of the marine clean-up team in Seongsan-eup on Jeju Island – a famous South Korean resort destination, The Independent reports.

According to The Independent, Individual one-kilo packages were found floating along the shore, each containing an estimated 660,000 doses – enough to supply the entire island’s population with a standard 0.03-gram dose.

Get in The Mix: Shop the Mixmag range here 

After being discovered by a local beach cleaner on earlier this month (October 7), authorities were alerted and called to the scene where they discovered the brick-shaped, foil-wrapped packages, each embellished with the Chinese character for ‘tea’.

To the surprise of the National Forensic Service who tested the contents of each package, they did not in fact contain tea, but around 20kg of ketamine.

An investigation has been launched into the discovery to determine how the packages arrived on the island, with authorities searching nearby waters for clues.

Read this next: Every single shrimp in England’s waterways contains cocaine, researchers say

Authorities have also sent the packaging that contained the drugs away for DNA testing, and are coordinating with international agencies including the US’ DEA to trace potential trafficking connections.

Police are monitoring the shores around Jeju Island, believing that the discovery could be connected to a larger string of similar drug importations and a suspected global smuggling operation.

[Via The Independent]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter