International Drug Kingpin Arrested in Attempted Smuggling of New E-Cigarette-Form Drugs
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced the arrest of four members of an international drug ring, including their Singaporean ringleader (Mr. A, 31), in Malaysia on June 19th. The group was attempting to smuggle large quantities of 'Etomidate,' a new drug mixed with cocaine and disguised as e-cigarette liquid, into South Korea. They planned to import 20,000 units monthly and were caught trying to establish a distribution network targeting Korean students via Telegram, promoting the drug as undetectable by authorities.
The NIS and Malaysian police seized 4,958 cartridges, worth 2.3 billion won (approximately $1.67 million USD), enough for 500,000 doses. Etomidate, a powerful anesthetic not yet classified as a narcotic in Korea (exploiting a legal loophole), was combined with cocaine to maximize its effects. Mr. A posed as a businessman through a headhunting firm in Gangnam to recruit students. The NIS hails this as the first instance of preemptively neutralizing an international drug cartel smuggling novel drugs operating in a legal blind spot from overseas.
전자담배형 신종 마약 밀반입 시도…국제조직 총책 검거
Understand Korea better through insights ♥