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Cambodian national arrested in Korea for smuggling and selling drug 'Rush'

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 17:19

Rush, a substance designated as a temporary Category 2 narcotic in Korea [SEOUL GANGNAM POLICE PRECINCT]

A Cambodian man in his 30s has been arrested for smuggling a synthetic drug known as “Rush” into Korea via express cargo and selling it through social media, according to customs authorities.

The Busan Customs Office said on Tuesday that it arrested and referred a 32-year-old Cambodian national to the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

Rush is a synthetic inhalant classified as isobutyl nitrite or isopropyl nitrite. The drug, typically consumed by inhaling from a sealed container, produces a short-term euphoric high and is often used as an aphrodisiac in nightlife settings. It has been designated a temporary Category 2 narcotic due to serious side effects like loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest.

According to customs officials, the man attempted to smuggle 60 bottles — amounting to 720 milliliters — of Rush into the country on July 16 by hiding them in express cargo disguised as sunscreen and cosmetics. He was caught at Incheon International Airport.

After tracking the recipient information for the shipment, Busan Customs apprehended the man at his residence in Geoje, South Gyeongsang. He had been working at a local factory on an employment visa issued in 2023.

An additional 41 bottles of Rush were seized during a search of his home. Investigators confirmed the man had smuggled a total of 153 bottles of the drug in multiple shipments, including 40 bottles in April and 53 in May.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, right, listens to a lawmaker's question about crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia during an audit by the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 13. [YONHAP]

Busan Customs said Rush is typically inhaled in doses of around 1 milliliter, meaning the smuggled quantity was enough for approximately 2,370 individual uses. Authorities believe the man distributed the drug in Korea as a way to earn easy money.

He reportedly sold the drug primarily through social media platforms and apps targeting the gay community. Investigators traced one of the buyers, an undocumented Vietnamese national who purchased 12 bottles, and deported him after arresting him in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang.

Busan Customs emphasized that smuggling or possessing illegal drugs is a punishable offense even for foreign workers, and it said it would step up enforcement to curb drug crimes involving foreign nationals.

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.
BY LEE EUN-JI [[email protected]]