Smuggling of illegal 'party pills' quadruples

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- The volume of illegal drugs smuggled into South Korea
has increased four-fold from a year earlier, the country's customs office said
Tuesday.
The Korea Customs Service said 2,598 "party pills" were brought into the country
in 20 separate cases during the first 11 months of this year. These recently
developed drugs include lorazepam, alprazolam and zolpidem, all of which are used
to treat insomnia and anxiety disorders, among other symptoms.
Michael Jackson recently died of an overdose of lorazepam, while the use of
zolpidem can lead to negative side effects, such as hallucinations and amnesia.
The customs office plans to request the Korea Communications Standards Commission
to block access to 84 overseas Web sites selling 35 types of such pills. The
customs service will also increase inspections of international mail and freight
to check for drugs disguised as plant nutrients.
ecuedy@yna.co.kr
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