The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has apprehended a gang of individuals, including the representative of a pharmaceutical distribution company, for illegally distributing etomidate, an anesthetic colloquially referred to as the 'second propofol' in South Korea. This violation involved disguising the distribution as exports, leading to legal actions against 17 individuals, ten of whom have been arrested. The investigation revealed that they sold 3,160 boxes of etomidate, amounting to a potential dosage for over 63,000 adults, to various unauthorized intermediaries, significantly inflating the drug's price in the black market.

These wholesalers and illegal clinics operated in Seoul, particularly in the Gangnam district, where they conducted illicit etomidate administration, often to employees of entertainment venues. They offered 'house call' services delivering drugs directly to users' homes, further complicating the distribution network. The original price of etomidate was around 38,000 KRW per box; however, after passing through several unauthorized channels, the price soared to more than fifty times the cost, resulting in substantial illegal profits. Police seized 49 million KRW in cash along with assets worth approximately 420 million KRW, including vehicles, as part of their operation to reclaim proceeds from crime.

Etomidate had previously been used as a non-narcotic alternative for sedation until its association with substance abuse spurred governmental action. Following the infamous 'Rolls-Royce incident' where a perpetrator used the drug was linked to a violent crime, the South Korean government revised drug regulations, classifying etomidate as a controlled substance from October 13, 2023. This change aims to curb the rising misuse of the drug, which has also seen troubling trends in other countries, such as Japan, where it is being mixed with electronic cigarettes, leading to similar public health concerns. The police have emphasized that the implementation of the new law should help mitigate further misuse and illegal activities related to etomidate and other controlled substances.