A group of eight Korean men were caught for illegally trafficking hallucinogenic drugs worth 400 million won ($350,000) from the U.S., the Seoul police said Wednesday.

The men smuggled in 4.5 liters of the drug disguised as hand sanitizer over eight international mail deliveries between August and December 2015. Each 4-milliliter vial was later sold for 350,000 won at nightclubs in Gangnam and on the Internet, raking in 120 million won over five months. 

The smuggled drug, called “Tear of God” or “TG,” is a synthetic marijuana with the XLR-11 compound to make more potent. It is scentless, tasteless and colorless and can be easily consumed without detection by sprinkling four to five drops on a cigarette.

The giddying effect quickly wears off in just 15 minutes, allowing minimum interruption to daily life. Users who bought from the men testified to having smoked the substance at their work places and on the streets without concerns of being caught.

As the business grew, the smugglers ambitiously attempted to expand their sales net by hosting a business seminar to attract more accomplices. The event, however, became the key leading police to them.

The police raided the apartment of the group’s leader in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and found the drug encapsulated in eye drop vials ready for sale.

Further investigation revealed that these men befriended each other 10 years ago while working at the same English academy. Most of them had received overseas schooling in their youth and had connections in the U.S.

They hatched the smuggling scheme after seeing a photo of an American drug trafficker at his grand mansion. Thinking they would get nowhere near as rich as this man with their salary, they decided to emulate the criminal.

According to the police, the men sought to maintain the trade for three years, in which time they believed they would save enough money to start a whole new life in the U.S.

The police confiscated the remaining 960 milliliters of the drug the men had, along with their illegally made profits. The whereabouts of the rest of the drug was accounted for.

“Tear of God” was classified as illegal in 2014, though this was the first time it was found in liquid form.

Police said they have requested a joint investigation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and arrest the manufacturer of the drug, who is presumed to be a Korean-American living in California in the U.S.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)