A total of 1,956 people have been apprehended in special drug crackdowns between August and October, with 406 of them formally arrested, police said Monday.

Of the total, 1,404 were caught for using or distributing methamphetamine, ecstasy and other psychotropic drugs, another 417 for marijuana-related products and the remaining 135 for other types of narcotics, including opium, cocaine and fentanyl, according to the National Police Agency.

Those in their teens, 20s and 30s totaled 1,365, almost 70 percent of total suspects, showing that younger generations are more exposed to illegal drugs apparently due to their familiarity with the dark web, accessible only through specific software or authorization, and cryptocurrency being increasingly used for online drug trade.

By age groups, those in their 20s took up the biggest share of 742, or 37.9 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 572, or 29.2 percent, 40s at 323, or 16.5 percent, and teenagers at 51, or 2.6 percent.

By crime type, drug use accounted for over 70 percent, followed by drug distribution at 24.6 percent, cultivation of mind-altering plants at 2.7 percent and production and smuggling of narcotics at 0.8 percent.

The number of suspects involved in online drug trade also increased from 18.7 percent in 2018 to 23.7 percent as of October this year, according to the police.

The police also confiscated 46.7 kilograms of meth during three months of the special crackdown, almost double the amount of 24.5 kg seized last year.

The police said they will strengthen anti-drug education for teenagers and investigative capability against online drug trafficking. (Yonhap)