[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] A group that manufactured and distributed the new drug 'Space Oil', popular in Hong Kong, in the form of liquid delivery cartridges to entertainment establishments in the Gangnam area of ​​Seoul has been arrested en masse by the police.

It was revealed that the drug in question was mainly composed of etomidate, a prescription drug with general anesthetic properties, and propoxate, also known as a "fish anesthetic," and that it was sold after mixing it with liquid tobacco in a 7:3 ratio and masking the smell with fragrance.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit arrested ten individuals, including a French man and an American woman, suspected of manufacturing and distributing this new drug, and detained two of them. The ringleaders, who fled overseas, are currently on an Interpol Red Notice, and an international joint investigation is underway.

Between May and October of last year, they smuggled prescription drugs from Hong Kong, mixed them with liquid tobacco, and manufactured a total of 987 e-cigarette cartridges, selling more than 174 of them to adult entertainment establishments in Gangnam. They disguised themselves as customers and offered free samples to adult entertainment establishment employees, falsely advertising that the products were “effective for weight loss” and reassuring them that they were “not illegal and undetectable.”

Etomidate, a general anesthetic, was newly designated as a narcotic by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in August of this year due to a recent surge in abuse. Propoxate, an unapproved prescription drug in Korea, is primarily used as a fish anesthetic overseas. In Hong Kong, in particular, it is known as "space oil" and is rapidly spreading among adolescents and young adults, causing social problems.

Last year, police discovered that workers at entertainment establishments in Gangnam were distributing a new type of drug in the form of liquid cigarettes along with ketamine. They launched a large-scale investigation and seized 432 ml of liquid cigarettes, 1,500 ml of prescription drug concentrate, 513 cartridges of the new type of drug, and 248 million won in cash. It was also discovered that some of the products were being sold overseas through Bangkok Airport in Thailand through an organized division of labor.

This incident has exposed legal loopholes and oversight blind spots regarding the manufacture and distribution of new narcotics. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced a revised bill designating propoxate as a temporary narcotic, effective September. Furthermore, it plans to proactively address public safety by promulgating a revised enforcement ordinance on August 12th to strengthen the designation and management of certain ingredients, including etomidate, as narcotics.

A police official stated, “Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs for purposes other than medical purposes can lead to addiction and harm no less than that of narcotics,” and added, “We will respond strongly to the illegal distribution of new types of drugs and expand international cooperation to secure suspects who have fled overseas.”

This incident demonstrates a new type of criminal activity exploiting the everyday luxury of liquid cigarettes to expose even the most vulnerable to the risk of drug addiction, highlighting the urgent need for consumer awareness and legal regulation. Multifaceted measures are needed to address the potential spread of new drugs both domestically and internationally, and the potential expansion of criminal organizations through these new drugs.