A US soldier accused of smuggling bags of methamphetamine to South Korea via military mail was handed a three-year jail term suspended for five years, district court records showed Friday.

Prosecutors revealed last month that an unnamed 19-year-old soldier -- suspected to be from the 2nd Infantry Division near Uijeongbu -- tried to smuggle 4 kilograms of methamphetamine through the military’s postal service last October, but was stopped by a customs inspection at Incheon Airport. The bags were confiscated immediately at the site. 

The shipment, estimated to be worth at least 13 billion won ($11.5 million), was allegedly intended to be delivered to an unidentified Korean-American man for 3.5 million won. The soldier had borrowed his colleague’s army post office address for $1,000 and designated him as the mail recipient in the crime, according the court document.

The suspect’s colleague was acquitted of all charges.

“The offence is serious as it holds the potential to spread negative influence, such as the side effects of drug abuse, and (could) inspire similar crimes in society,” the Uijeongbu District Court said.

“However, the fact that the drugs were seized before being released to the public and his faithful service in the army were considered in the ruling.”

The prosecution failed to identify the Korean-American called Jason, who is accused of orchestrating the crime.

The case is closely linked to another drug trafficking crime at around the same time that involved another group of soldiers who tried to smuggle illegal drugs into Korea by hiding them in cereal boxes.

By Jung Min-kyung (mkjung@heraldcorp.com)