A sprawling, easily accessible online narcotics market overseas has become a new concern for police officers here trying to keep the country safe from illegal drugs.

According to the National Police Agency on Monday, 994 Koreans have been caught purchasing illegal drugs from overseas through the Internet since 2008. Most of the orders were shipped via post mail and came from countries like the United States, the U.K., New Zealand, Hungary and Taiwan, officials said.

More than 90 percent of those nabbed were first-time offenders ― many of them students, office workers and housewives, they added.

This indicates that drugs, especially new designer drugs, are making their way into Korea in a new way that is easier for both buyers and dealers, and more difficult for the authorities to monitor.

Some new drugs are sold cheap online in countries where they are not registered as controlled substances, the NPA said.

The NPA, seeking cross-border cooperation to tackle drug trafficking via the Internet, is currently holding a two-day meeting, in Seoul from Monday, of drug-related agencies from the U.S., China and Southeast Asia.

At the meeting, countries will share their experiences in anti-drug policies and information on new drugs, while discussing ways to counter cross-border smuggling.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)