SEOUL- South Korea's customs agency said Wednesday it has detected a new type of synthetic drug for the first time in an international parcel from France, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The compound, identified as 4-Benzyloxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, shares similarities with mescaline, a psychedelic substance commonly used as a party drug, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The agency said a chemical structure analysis confirmed that it is a new synthetic drug that has been reported for the first time in the world.
Authorities said they had discovered the compound in an unidentified powder during routine inspections.
Mescaline is a natural psychedelic derived from the Mexican peyote cactus and the San Pedro cactus, native to Peru and Ecuador. It induces hallucinogenic effects similar to those of LSD and magic mushrooms. - BERNAMA