"If You Bring a Family Member's ID Number, I'll Give You More"... Doctor Illegally Administered Propofol 4,700 Times

180,000 Milliliters of Propofol Illegally Administered to 32 Addicts
Six Died After Depression Worsened

A doctor who illegally administered propofol to addicts over a five-year period by using the names of family members or other third parties has been indicted and is currently in detention.

According to Yonhap News Agency on May 31, the Violent Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor So Changbeom) announced on May 29 that pediatric specialist Mr. A has been indicted and detained on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances) and the Resident Registration Act.

Six hospital staff members, including skincare specialists who administered propofol under Mr. A's instructions, and five addicts, have been indicted without detention for violating the Narcotics Control Act. In addition, 21 addicts who were deemed to have the potential for social reintegration have received suspended indictments.

Propofol found in Mr. A's hospital. Provided by Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Yonhap News Agency

Mr. A is accused of illegally administering a total of 180,000 mL of propofol to 32 addicts at a clinic in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, over approximately 4,700 instances from November 2020 over a five-year period. He lured nightclub workers, businesspeople, and others by offering a relatively low price of 300,000 won per dose. To evade monitoring by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Integrated Narcotics Control System, Mr. A suggested to addicts that if they provided the resident registration numbers of family or acquaintances, he would administer more propofol.

It has been found that using this method, Mr. A illegally used the resident registration numbers of 121 people to prescribe propofol a total of 1,272 times. Furthermore, he also used a list of more than 2,000 foreigners, which he personally acquired, to administer propofol consecutively more than 10 times a day in some cases. Among the addicts who received propofol from Mr. A, six reportedly took their own lives after their depression worsened.

Prosecutors have also identified that Mr. A used criminal proceeds amounting to several billion won to purchase high-end luxury goods and imported cars, and are now pursuing the recovery of these criminal profits.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office expanded its medical narcotics investigation team, which was newly established in February last year, into two teams, strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and boosting its capacity to respond to such crimes.

A prosecution official stated, "Mr. A abandoned his duty as a doctor and treated patients solely as a means to make money, committing a crime of severe moral depravity by causing drug addiction. We will continue to take strong action against medical narcotics crimes and do our utmost to support the normal social reintegration of addicts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.