National Forensic Service headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province (National Forensic Service)
National Forensic Service headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province (National Forensic Service)

Newly-discovered drug spreads across S. Korea via Telegram, forensic service says

The Ministry of Interior and Safety on Tuesday announced that South Korea became the first country to discover a new synthetic drug, named 2-fluoro-2-oxo PCPr.

According to the ministry, the National Forensic Service, the ministry's forensics arm, identified the chemical structure of the drug that has never been reported domestically or internationally.

The forensics service said 2-fluoro-2-oxo PCPr was an analog to the recreational drug PCP, also known as angel dust, a dissociative anesthetic that can cause hallucinations, but can also cause paranoia and psychosis.

The National Forensic Service also revealed that the new drug was being distributed simultaneously across different regions in South Korea, including Seoul, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province and cities in North Jeolla Province, via messaging service Telegram.

The NFS seeks to swiftly respond to the new drug by sharing its research findings with related organizations in the country and abroad.

It plans to publish a research paper on this discovery in international scientific journals, like the Science Citation Index, hoping to enhance South Korea’s reputation in forensic drug analysis.

“We will make every effort to block the distribution of new synthetic drugs at the earliest stage, contribute to legislative improvements and ensure the safety of the public by preventing drug-related crimes,” said Lee Bong-woo, director of the NFS, in a press release.


sj_lee@heraldcorp.com