Customs authorities seize hundreds of bottles of Rush at Incheon Airport

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Customs authorities seize hundreds of bottles of Rush at Incheon Airport

Published: 05 Jun. 2025, 13:19 Updated: 05 Jun. 2025, 18:33

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Bottles containing a seized drug known as Rush that a foreign national allegedly disguised as cosmetics and food to smuggle into Korea and sell on social media, are displayed by Korean Customs authorities. [INCHEON AIRPORT REGIONAL CUSTOMS]

A foreign national in his 30s has been indicted for smuggling a new synthetic drug into Korea and selling it via social media platforms, the Incheon Airport Regional Customs said Thursday.

The suspect was transferred in custody to the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office at the end of January on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.

The suspect is accused of smuggling and distributing 191 bottles of a drug known as Rush — a total of 4,270 milliliters (144 oz) equivalent to roughly 4,000 doses. Rush is a synthetic drug classified under isobutyl nitrite and isopropyl nitrite, and is also known in Korea as Rasshu, which is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of Rush.

Typically used in nightlife venues as an aphrodisiac, it is inhaled from sealed containers and is known to cause euphoria. Due to its potentially severe side effects — including loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest — the drug has been temporarily designated as a controlled substance.

The Incheon Airport Regional Customs discovered 20 bottles of Rush during an inspection of express cargo from Vietnam in October last year. Investigators then conducted a controlled delivery — a method where contraband is monitored rather than seized immediately — and apprehended the suspect at the final point of distribution.

Authorities later found that the suspect had smuggled a total of 191 bottles between August and October. To evade inspection, he allegedly falsified the recipient’s name and falsely declared the items as cosmetics or food products. He is believed to have sold the drug on social media at up to 16 times the original price — purchasing for 5,000 won ($3.60) and selling for as much as 80,000 won per bottle.

“Products labeled Rush, Super Rush or Jungle Juice should be treated with extreme caution, as mere possession may be subject to criminal penalties,” a customs official said. “We will continue to strengthen our response across the entire process — from inspection and detection to investigation — to block the inflow of new synthetic drugs into the country.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE CHAN-KYU [[email protected]]