By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-08-02 08:06:35 | Updated at 2026-08-02 19:06:37
11 hours ago
HO CHI MINH CITY – The police in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 65 people, including 10 foreign nationals, for allegedly operating a drug trafficking network that mixed the anaesthetic etomidate into e-cigarette liquid and sold the products to Vietnamese and foreign customers, the authorities said on Aug 1.
Vapes laced with the anaesthetic agent etomidate are known as Kpods, which can trigger zombie-like behaviour in users, along with seizures and psychotic episodes.
Those arrested include four Singaporeans, four Malaysians and two Taiwanese, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department’s Drug Crime Investigation Division.
The police identified Malaysian national Hoo Jia How, 30, and Singaporean Melvin Tan Junjie, 30, as the alleged ringleaders.
The investigation began in early July after officers detected signs of the operation. Following weeks of surveillance, the police raided a rented house in Cong Quynh Street in Cau Ong Lanh Ward, arresting the two men and seizing 1,331 e-cigarette cartridges and 140ml of etomidate-infused liquid.
Investigators later arrested another Singaporean, Oh Jang Fong, who is accused of supplying the etomidate liquid used to fill the cartridges.
The police allege that the group injected the drug into e-cigarette pods before distributing the products through local dealers. The pods were sold to both Vietnamese and foreign customers, with some buyers allegedly reselling them or organising drug use.
Further raids dismantled two additional distribution networks, bringing the total number of arrests to 65.
The authorities seized nearly 2,000 drug-laced e-cigarette cartridges and 140ml of etomidate liquid.
Etomidate is an anaesthetic used in medicine but has increasingly been abused by mixing it into e-cigarette liquid. Vietnam classified the substance as a narcotic on early in 2026.
The police said the products were promoted with misleading claims such as “won’t show up on drug tests” and “not a narcotic”, giving users the false impression that they were safe.
The authorities warned that inhaling etomidate can initially cause relaxation and euphoria, but may also lead to drowsiness, impaired awareness, slowed reflexes and loss of coordination. In severe cases, it can cause seizures, respiratory depression, low blood pressure and death.
The investigation is continuing.
The Straits Times has contacted the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information. VIETNAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
