My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 402

“It’s hard to believe it all started by chance—the initial success, the rapid expansion. It’s not easy to break into the already saturated global drug market. It feels like they were thoroughly prepared from the very beginning.”

Lee Ji-soo’s face hardened at those words. She hadn’t considered that possibility.

“Prepared?”

“Yes, and that’s what’s so unusual.”

Drug dealers usually expand by trading drugs and gradually increasing their scale. It’s almost inevitable. Starting big and making a splash right away is a surefire way to attract police attention.

Getting noticed by the police can be, in some ways, a good thing. If another drug distribution organization notices them first, they could disappear without a trace.

Most criminal organizations dealing in drugs don’t value human lives any more than disposable lighters. They prefer to eliminate competitors who enter their territory, burying them without a second thought.

Operating like a legitimate business would only increase the likelihood of becoming a target if the drug investigation gains momentum.

“But this Vanilla is nothing like that. Everything seems meticulously planned.”

“So, are they a nationwide organization?”

Lee Ji-soo naturally assumed they were, since only a group with enough power to protect itself could operate on a national scale. But Park Do-joon disagreed.

“A nationwide organization? Unfortunately, there isn’t an organization in Korea with that level of capability, even if you call them nationwide.”

It’s not that such organizations don’t exist, but the chances of one completely concealing itself at this scale are slim.

“The most likely source is China. Next, the Yakuza [Japanese organized crime syndicate], and then the United States.”

With this level of financial power and operational reach, Korean criminal organizations would definitely face limitations in their growth.

“I think it’s the United States.”

“The United States? Why do you say that?”

“Yes, the drug spread so quickly. That suggests the quality is high.”

When buying drugs, addicts care most about price and quality. Of course, that’s true for all goods, but with drugs, a poorly made product can be life-threatening.

“There are quite a few deaths due to acute drug poisoning from poorly manufactured drugs, especially in the United States and other countries.”

“They can’t advertise, but good quality becomes its own advertisement.”

“That’s right. And they know it.”

Park Do-joon touched his chin and asked,

“How do you know all this, Senior?”

“Their trademark is putting the name ‘Vanilla’ on their drugs. What does creating a brand signify?”

“Ah~!”

It means they’re confident in their product and want to promote it.

“In fact, if you go to places where drugs are prevalent, you’ll find guys who brand and sell them.”

And those guys are known for the high quality of their drugs. Generally, you wouldn’t even consider branding drugs unless you’re confident in maintaining consistent quality.

If rumors spread that it’s bad and people get hurt, sales will plummet.

“Conversely, if you’re confident in controlling the quality, that itself becomes promotion. So, later on, even fake drugs start circulating.”

“Yes, there are fake drugs too?”

“Yes, and those fake drugs are usually made in China. There are many cases of acute drug poisoning from using them.”

If you can’t manufacture drugs to the same standard, even if you think 0.1 grams is the correct dosage and use the drug accordingly, you’ll quickly exceed the lethal dose.

So, ironically, the number of deaths from fake drugs in the drug market is increasing every year in the United States.

“Senior, you know a lot about this. I’m hearing it for the first time.”

“Well, I did some research on drugs in the United States.”

‘To be exact, it was before the regression.’

He probably doesn’t remember, but the reason he did that research was likely because of this Vanilla operation.

“And the dealers in the United States are particularly good at branding.”

“No, how do they bring it all the way here from the United States?”

“I don’t know. There are many ways. They bring it here from South America, so why would it be impossible from the United States?”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, if they’re American, they’re a protected target.”

“A protected target?”

“Yes.”

If they rashly suspect or investigate, the U.S. government will jump up and down as if having a seizure, so Korean police rarely investigate Americans unless they are certain.

“American-style promotion, consistent drug quality, and the American-style name ‘Vanilla’.”

Looking at these factors, the supplier is very likely to be American.

“No, anyone can put a name on it.”

“Hmm, don’t you know yet? Well, you don’t know much about criminal organizations yet.”

Park Do-joon scratched his head.

“Criminal organizations are surprisingly loyal.”

“No, those guys always have loyalty on their lips.”

“No, should I call them patriots?”

“Yes?”

“Criminal organizations in each country prefer their own country’s names.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re… parochial.”

For example, Chinese violent organizations use Chinese characters such as Black Dragon or Red Snake when naming themselves, and Japanese organizations name themselves something like such-and-such gumi [a type of Yakuza group].

“Korea has a lot of strange names, right? Like Global Shindonga Pa [a fictional Korean gang name].”

“Yes, that’s right. But if you catch those guys and tell them to write ‘Global’ in English, would they be able to?”

“That’s… probably not?”

“That’s right, most of them can’t write it.”

In other words, when naming something, people use words that are easy for them to understand as their own.

“But Vanilla is a drug with a name written in English, not even Korean.”

“The guy who named it is either American or familiar enough with English to use it naturally.”

“That’s right. Besides, if they have a global distribution network capable of reaching Korea with determination, there aren’t many of them.”

Park Do-joon touched his chin and said.

“The problem is that we can’t be sure of any of this.”

Of course, the United States might know, but they have no reason to tell them.

“Is Korea such a tempting market?”

“I told you, it’s considered a relatively drug-free country, so drug enforcement capabilities are low, and public resistance is minimal. Besides, the punishments are lenient.”

In fact, there are plenty of people who come in from the United States or Southeast Asia to do drugs, but they are rarely caught.

“Korea’s drug investigation method is mostly based on personal connections.”

If they catch someone, they grill him and make him give up information. And if he’s caught as a drug offender, he’s half-crazed with pain because of withdrawal symptoms, so he babbles.

“Korea thinks that’s the most efficient investigation method.”

But this investigation method can only catch the people around or the final seller, not the higher-ups.

“Furthermore, in cases like drop-offs, drones, or using delivery services, tracking becomes virtually impossible.”

At least with delivery or quick service, they can catch the person and check the CCTV at the location where the person started, but drop-offs or drones make even that impossible.

“Besides, Korea is not a country with less money than the United States.”

If the population is 50 million, it is much smaller than the United States, but since one organization doesn’t eat up the billions of people in the United States in the first place, it is a sufficiently marketable place when viewed from overseas.

“The problem is that the U.S. government won’t help with this.”

Because the U.S. Embassy in Korea is primarily concerned with protecting Americans. Even if he’s really a drug dealer, the U.S. Embassy in Korea views repatriating him and having him punished in the United States as a diplomatic failure, rather than having him punished in Korea.

“American… Everyone’s records only talk about China or the Yakuza.”

Since they’ve been tracking Vanilla for five years, there are naturally mountains of records. Most people wrote that they suspected China, Japan, or even North Korea.

But Park Do-joon was the first to suspect the United States.

“Preconceptions are dangerous. In fact, that’s the typical profile of violent organizations in Korea.”

The Chinese Triads. The Japanese Yakuza. They’ve been distributing drugs in Korea for 10 or 20 years, so it’s not a surprise.

North Korea is also one of the world’s leading drug distributors, so it was included in the candidate group.

“But I don’t think so. You shouldn’t see these guys as a violent organization. You should see them as a company.”

In fact, the biggest difference between other people and Park Do-joon was whether they saw Vanilla as a violent organization or a company. The behavior of a violent organization and the behavior of a company are very different, so if you can’t distinguish them, you’ll never catch them.

“A company…”

At those words, Lee Ji-soo looked at him with a strange expression. After all, she had never learned about organizations that operate in the gray area [양성화된] at school.

“Are they operating in the gray area [양성화된]?”

“No, they’re not. They’re really a company.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

It’s not easy for organizations operating in the gray area [양성화된] to advance to Korea. The language is different, the living environment is different, and the method of contact is different.

“But these guys ate up Seoul and Gyeonggi [the province surrounding Seoul] in an instant. That means they’ve adapted very well to Korea.”

And that itself means they are quite intelligent. People with low intelligence have poor adaptability to the environment.

“And when you look at it that way, they actually distribute goods like a company rather than showing violent criminal behavior.

The branding of drugs is also not a method that violent organizations generally use. It’s probably one of their corporate strategies.”

In fact, looking at the investigation records so far, there are numerous traces of Vanilla’s presence being discovered, but there are almost no violent incidents directly related to Vanilla.

“Even the ones that exist are closer to the guys who distribute them causing accidents rather than Vanilla directly committing them.”

In other words, the power struggles caused by the guys who distribute Vanilla are virtually zero.

“Ah, that’s right. When I classify them, it’s like that.”

There were only incidents where distributors clashed with other distributors or other distributors aimed for Vanilla’s distribution rights, but there were no cases where Vanilla directly clashed.

“And when you look at it that way, it makes sense that they can’t go down to Incheon.”

“Yes? Why?”

“The Chinese have a tight grip there. And those bastards’ power is no joke. Corporate criminal organizations are 밀리다 [pushed back] in power compared to violent criminal organizations, so they can’t rashly enter Incheon.”

Park Do-joon touched his chin and said.

“The best thing to bring drugs in is the sea. Airplanes are relatively 빡센 [difficult/intense].”

In fact, there are many attempts to bring drugs into the country by plane. However, 감시 [surveillance] on airplanes is much 빡세기 [more intense] compared to ships, so most of them get caught.

“But not all of them get caught, right?”

“That’s right. But Vanilla’s drugs have never been caught at the airport.”

Logically, that should be recorded.