Prosecutors detained the eldest son of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun on Wednesday over drug charges.

The Incheon District Prosecutors Office said Lee Sun-ho, the heir apparent of the leading food and entertainment conglomerate showed up at the office around 6:20 p.m. and requested that he be arrested as soon as possible.

He was caught Sunday attempting to smuggle liquid marijuana in cartridges, as well as other banned substances, into the country via Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The 28-year-old is also suspected of using marijuana, as his urine sample tested positive for the banned substance.

The authorities had released him after an initial investigation, drawing criticism over preferential treatment of the tycoon's scion.

Lee has been working at CJ Cheiljedang, a CJ Group affiliate engaged in the production and sale of various food products, since 2013. He became a manager in charge of food business strategy and planning at the CJ Group company in May this year after serving on its bio business team. (Yonhap)