Family says B.C. woman unknowingly became drug mule in romance scam

Andrew Johnson has more about a Canadian woman imprisoned in South Korea, whose family claims she's been taken advantage of.

It was a staggering 3 a.m. text from her mom Lorrene Parks will never forget. “You’re kind of just like in shock,” she said. “You don’t know what to do with that information or if it’s true.”

The family says the brief message from Spring Parks on Feb. 1 was hard to believe. “It just said she was detained in South Korea as a drug mule,” said Lorrene’s sister Andrea. “She thought that she was in love with somebody, but I guess not, and she had no idea.”

The daughters say none of it made any sense. In a panic, Lorrene and Andrea sought out a lawyer in the region, who found out where their mom was being held in Incheon, a major coastal city west of Seoul. She learned more about how the 58-year-old, who is deaf, ended up there.

Luggage allegedly contained meth

According to the family, lawyer Sean Hayes said Parks had first flown from Vancouver to South Africa, where she met someone who gave her luggage to bring onto the plane before she continued her journey to South Korea.

Authorities allegedly discovered about four kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in the bottom of her suitcase after she arrived. “This is a terrible situation and happening too often,” Hayes wrote in an email to CTV News.

Vancouver lawyer Richard Kurland says it all appears consistent with a sophisticated smuggling operation that targets vulnerable people through romance scams. “The victim was selected, the contraband was introduced in transit, and the person’s paying the price in detention,” Kurland said.

Family believes ‘trusting’ mom manipulated

Parks’ daughters believe their mother was manipulated by someone who convinced her she was in a genuine relationship and persuaded her to travel. “They’re master manipulators,” Andrea said. “They’ve done this for a while, and they know who to target. It seems to be older women who are vulnerable and lonely.”

The family says Parks’ hearing impairment and trusting nature may have made her particularly vulnerable to exploitation. They also suspect she was encouraged to keep the relationship and travel plans secret, which is out of character based on previous trips.

The daughters describe their mom as a community builder. “She cares a lot about helping people,” Lorrene said. “She’ll go out of her way to help a friend or help anybody else. She’s really hard working.”

The pair add their mother is also very involved in the local metro Vancouver deaf community. “There’s been a few people that have said that she’s changed their lives. Just like helping them learn ASL and even convincing people to become interpreters,” Andrea said.

Severe penalties under South Korean law

Under South Korean law, drug trafficking carries severe penalties.

“They take narcotics seriously,” Kurland said. “The consequence under Korean law appears to be minimum five years imprisonment if found guilty. Execution was removed from the table several years ago.” Kurland said the courts could go with a lesser sentence if it can be proven Parks was manipulated or victimized.

In some cases, he said, deportation could also be a possibility for Parks to then serve her sentence in Canada.

In a statement to CTV News, Global Affairs Canada confirmed consular officials are providing assistance to a Canadian detained in South Korea.

Family fundraising to cover legal costs

Meanwhile, Parks’ daughters are trying to avoid thinking about the worst-case scenarios. “We’re just two daughters trying to get our mom back,” Andrea said.

They are also trying to figure out how to handle the financial burden. In addition to mounting legal bills, there are costs associated with sourcing an American Sign Language interpreter so Parks can properly speak to investigators and follow along with court proceedings.

In a fundraising campaign launched to help cover costs, the sisters say they have already paid significant legal retainers and have been forced to vacate their mother’s home and sell off many of her belongings to raise money.

“If you know our mom, you know her heart,” the fundraiser says. “She is kind, loving and deeply cares about everyone around her. She made a mistake in trusting the wrong person, but she did not knowingly commit a crime.”

With files from CTV’s Kristen Yu