Police identify nine for distributing vape liquid laced with new drugs to Gangnam nightlife venues
Published: 13 Aug. 2025, 17:19
![A police logo [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/13/56c47364-27cd-4214-98e9-d93dabb3e4d4.jpg)
A police logo [YONHAP]
Police have identified nine people involved in smuggling a new drug-laced e-cigarette liquid from Hong Kong and distributing it to nightlife venues in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.
The suspects mixed the prescription anesthetics etomidate and propoxate into e-cigarette liquids and sold them to club workers, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit said on Wednesday.
Etomidate is designed to be used in surgery and intubation, but its illicit use can suppress the adrenal glands and the user's ability to handle stress, causing anxiety and hallucinations. If vaped, it can cause unconsciousness and respiratory depression. Propoxate, an experimental anesthetic chemically related to etomidate, is not produced for inhalation or vaping, but experts warn that inhalation could cause rapid sedation, disorientation or even hallucinations.
Police charged seven people under the Act on the Control of Health-Crime for manufacturing unauthorized drugs and referred two to the prosecution in custody. The remaining two, a French person in their 40s and their American spouse in their 30s, described as the ringleaders, have fled to Thailand. Authorities requested an Interpol Red Notice and are tracking their whereabouts.
Police seized 1,500 milliliters (50.7 fl oz.) of the two prescription anesthetics, 513 cartridges containing the illicit mix of said substances and vape liquid and 248 million won ($179,000) in cash.
Police said that the couple, who had lived in Korea for many years, believed they could make large profits by selling the two substances in the country.
The drugs, known locally as “space oil” in Hong Kong where they first gained popularity, were reported by the South China Morning Post in February as the third most commonly used among Hong Kong teenagers after marijuana and cocaine.
![Illicit pharmaceuticals in e-cigarette liquid seized by police [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/13/131f86ca-29cd-4a2a-9e45-330bd154850e.jpg)
Illicit pharmaceuticals in e-cigarette liquid seized by police [SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE]
The couple in May of last year initially invited five acquaintances into a group chat on a social media platform and began their operations. In September of last year, they mixed the smuggled drugs with commercially available e-cigarette liquid in a 7-to-3 ratio, producing 987 cartridges.
Distributors promoted the product in clubs by offering free samples, telling patrons it was "a diet aid, not an illegal drug, and that it would not show up on drug tests."
They also blended the drug with flavored e-liquids such as strawberry to suit different tastes. The group sold fewer than 10 cartridges for 300,000 won each, while orders of 100 or more included each cartridge for 200,000 won.
The suspects also tried to expand overseas. In October of last year, one of the suspects delivered 300 cartridges to a contact at a Bangkok airport under the ringleaders' instructions.
Police said that they learned of the operation in July last year while investigating one of the suspects for dealing ketamine.
Officers searched the ketamine supplier's residence and found etomidate and propoxate, then identified the six other suspects through forensic analysis of the ketamine supplier's phone. The ringleaders fled to Thailand shortly after the arrest of the first suspect.
Etomidate has long been flagged as a high-risk drug due to its potential for abuse. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Tuesday classified it as a narcotic, meaning all imports, manufacturing, distribution and administration must be reported so that it can be monitored in real time.
The ministry also announced plans to temporarily designate propoxate as a narcotic after the investigation revealed the first known case of its distribution in Korea.
“We will work closely with local law enforcement agencies to quickly secure custody of the two ringleaders who fled overseas,” said Nam Seong-shin, head of Narcotics Crime Investigation Division 1 at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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