Authorities have uncovered a group involved in selling drug cocktails—a combination of five different substances, including methamphetamine and ketamine—marking the first detection of such drugs in South Korea.
Incheon Airport Customs announced yesterday the arrest of three Vietnamese nationals for smuggling and distributing drug cocktails in South Korea. They have been referred to the Incheon District Prosecutor’s Office for violating the Narcotic Control Act (smuggling).
Drug cocktails are a new class of narcotics created by mixing methamphetamine (a stimulant), ketamine (an anesthetic), nitrazepam (a tranquilizer), tramadol (a pain reliever), and acetaminophen (a fever reducer).
The customs investigation revealed that the three individuals played distinct roles: one was responsible for placing overseas drug orders and selling them in South Korea (the ringleader), another secured vacant addresses in South Korea for receiving the drugs, and the third handled collection and shipping. This division of labor indicates a well-organized smuggling operation.
Customs officials discovered 25 grams of these drug cocktails during an inspection of international mail from Malaysia in April. They quickly arrested the individual responsible for collecting the drugs and subsequently traced the ringleader through the collector. The ringleader was apprehended at Incheon Airport just before attempting to flee while traveling between South Korea and Vietnam. The person responsible for securing domestic addresses was captured while hiding in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
The drug cocktails sold by the group have been identified as a new type of narcotic not previously detected in the country. A customs official stated, “We will intensify our efforts to prevent drug smuggling by conducting thorough inspections, monitoring unknown substances crossing the border, and performing detailed component analysis. We are committed to doing everything we can to protect public health and safety.”
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