59 people who bought and possessed an appetite suppressant drug called 'butterfly drug' were arrested.



The majority were teenagers who bought drugs negatively because of their interest in diet, and it was found that there was still a blind spot for youth drug management.



The Gyeongnam Police Agency's drug crime investigation division announced today (16th) that it had sent 59 people in their 10s to 30s to the prosecution with the opinion of indictment without detention on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act.



They are suspected of selling, administering, purchasing, or storing narcotic appetite suppressants through SNS after being prescribed them in their own or other names at hospitals located in Gangwon and Gyeongbuk from March 5 to April 15 of this year.



This appetite suppressant, also known as butterfly medicine because it looks like a butterfly, is a short-term prescription medicine for weight loss to obese patients.



It has been designated as a psychotropic drug under the Narcotics Control Act because of its serious risk of misuse and abuse, such as addiction, hallucinations, and side effects such as hallucinations.



Among the suspects arrested this time, there were 8 sellers in their 10s and 30s, and 51 buyers in their 10s and 30s.



Among them, teenagers accounted for the majority with a total of 47 people.



Of the 51 buyers, 50 were women, including a 13-year-old.



After receiving a prescription from the hospital, the sellers sold it through social media or reselled the appetite suppressants they purchased.



Buyers bought effective diet pills through a search on SNS because they thought it would be difficult to prescribe them normally in hospitals.



In the case of purchasing students, it was investigated that they purchased the drug for reasons such as not wanting to hear people say they got fat or the school uniform didn't fit.



A total of 567 tablets were acquired by the suspects, of which the police seized 106 tablets and blocked further distribution.



In addition, we are continuing the investigation after securing clues that there is an increase in the number of teenagers who advertise and sell appetite suppressants designated as narcotics on social media as a means of earning pocket money or for diet purposes.



A police official said, "The most surprising thing was that the suspects were arrested in 15 cities and provinces across the country, including Seoul, during the investigation. I did.



(Photo = Yonhap News)