Drug Ministry to provide samples of 21 new types of illicit drugs to authorities
By Kim ArinPublished : June 10, 2019 - 17:40
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced Monday it has listed certified reference materials for 21 new types of illegal drugs on its inventory.
Certified reference materials are drug samples that act as standards in drug screenings to examine a drug’s purity and identify its type.
Certified reference materials are drug samples that act as standards in drug screenings to examine a drug’s purity and identify its type.
The ministry will provide the samples to the relevant authorities, such as the National Forensic Service, Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and Korea Customs Service.
The new certified drug reference materials include 12 forms of amphetamine, three forms of synthesized marijuana, forms of fentanyl, a form of tryptamine and benzodiazepine.
With the addition, the ministry-run National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation now has 63 reference materials for illicit drugs.
The amount of new forms of drugs smuggled to Korea rose from 7,903 grams in 2016 to 10,865 grams in 2017, up 37.5 percent.
By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)