한인 대학생을 비롯한 남성 2명이 마약의 일종인 '엑스터시' 밀매 혐의로 수사당국에 체포됐다.

일리노이주 쿡 카운티 셰리프국에 따르면 연방국토안보부, 연방세관국경보호국, 연방우정국, 일리노이 주정부 요원들로 구성된 합동 마약단속반은 최근 유럽에서 시카고 오헤어 국제공항에 도착한 수상한 패키지를 추적한 결과 박스 안에 흥분제 종류의 마약인 엑스터시 300알이 든 것을 발견하고, 해당 패키지를 글렌뷰 자택에서 배달받은 마무드 베이커(35)와 한인 윤 조(23)씨를 지난 23일 검거했다.

베이커는 전달받은 패키지와 다른 종류의 마약이 든 박스를 차에 싣고 조씨를 픽업하러 갔다고 수사당국은 밝혔다. 용의자들은 마약밀매 혐의로 기소됐으며 재판에서 유죄가 확정될 경우 6~30년의 실형을 선고받을 수 있다. 조씨의 변호를 맡은 제임스 현 변호사는 “조씨는 전과가 없으며, 이번에 처음 체포됐다”고 말했다. 조씨는 데스 플레인스에 있는 오크톤 커뮤니티칼리지 학생으로 알려졌다

Two men in their 20s, one from Glenview and one from unincorporated Glenview, were taken into custody by a joint Cook County sheriff and Department of Homeland Security Investigations task force and charged with international drug trafficking.

Yoon Cho, 23, of the 3900 block of Triumvera Drive, unincorporated Glenview, remained in Cook County Jail in Chicago, his bond amount set at $250,000, along with Mahmud Baker, 25, of the 1700 block of Greenwood Road, Glenview, who remained in custody on a $500,000 bond last Friday. 

A Cook County Sheriff’s Police spokeswoman said the two men were, “allegedly trafficking ecstasy and clonazepam pills from Europe.” Each was charged with trafficking a controlled substance, a Class X felony, and taken into custody May 23.

Baker was on probation for a felony conviction involving narcotics, Cook County sheriff’s press office spokeswoman Shereen Mohammad said.

Bail review hearings for both men are scheduled for Wednesday, June 1 at the Cook County Courthouse in Skokie.