"Doctors Who Abused Narcotics for 'Sleep Aid' Also Committed Illegal Filming"

Illegal Administration of Medical Narcotics Under the Guise of Cosmetic Procedures

General Anesthetics Also Administered to Evade Crackdown

Police Request Regulation of Dexmedetomidine from Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

A group of doctors, including Dr. A, were referred to the prosecution after habitually and illegally administering medical narcotics to patients seeking help with sleep and even illegally filming those patients while they were under sedation.

The Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 26th that Dr. A has been arrested and referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Additionally, major recipient B has been arrested and referred on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Twelve others—including Dr. C, an administrative manager, and other illegal recipients—were referred without detention on the same charge.

The Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a search and seizure of the clinic operated by Dr. A and others on April 27 on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

According to police, Dr. A and others are charged with illegally administering medical narcotics or aiding and abetting such actions without legitimate medical purposes, as well as receiving these drugs despite knowing it was illegal. Dr. A is also accused of illegally filming the bodies of patients under sedation from July 2021 to February 2022.

From November 2021 to November 2023, Dr. A is alleged to have illegally administered drugs such as propofol a total of 71 times at his clinic, charging 350,000 won per session to seven patients who sought treatment for sleep, under the pretense of providing cosmetic procedures. The confirmed criminal proceeds amount to about 40 million won, but police believe cash transactions may have generated even greater profits.

Co-practicing physician Dr. C is also alleged to have illegally administered drugs such as propofol and ketamine a total of 111 times to eight patients between July 2022 and June 2023 using the same methods, illicitly obtaining approximately 417 million won.

B and 10 other recipients are believed to have been illegally administered medical narcotics between 1 and 64 times each for the purpose of sleep. During a residential search, B was also found to be in possession of cocaine and has been detained.

A file photo of Medetomidine, which has recently been frequently identified as a substitute for new synthetic drugs. In this case, it was revealed that Dexmedetomidine, a drug of the same series, was abused as a substitute for narcotics. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

Police investigations revealed that Dr. A and Dr. C administered sedatives based on the payment amount rather than legitimate medical needs, and cosmetic procedures were either skipped or only performed superficially. To evade detection, they administered dexmedetomidine—a general anesthetic—and failed to record medical charts or report narcotics handling as required.

The cost per administration of medical narcotics such as propofol was up to 32 times the drug's actual price. Of the 11 recipients identified, 9 were in their thirties and 2 in their forties. Some paid as much as 13.5 million won in a single day or stayed at the clinic for up to 13 hours. One recipient visited the clinic 64 times over 11 months, spending a total of 253 million won.

The police stated that this is the first case in which dexmedetomidine has been abused as a substitute for medical narcotics. Dexmedetomidine is a compound in the same class as medetomidine, a veterinary anesthetic for which the need for regulation has recently been highlighted due to its abuse as a substitute for new types of narcotics.

The police requested the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety review the designation of dexmedetomidine as a regulated narcotic, citing its abuse. An official stated, "Recently, drugs in the sedative class are being widely misused for purposes other than legitimate medical care. After etomidate was ultimately classified as a narcotic 13 years after concerns about its abuse arose, it is crucial that similar drugs now be proactively and thoroughly reviewed so that history does not repeat itself."

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