Coast Guard seizes over 7 kg of 'zombie drug' etomidate

Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration's (CGA) investigation squad in Miaoli County recently seized nearly 7.46 kilograms of the Category 3 narcotic etomidate, which was illegally smuggled into Taiwan from China, the agency said Wednesday.

If the amount of etomidate, which is popularly referred to as a "zombie drug," is added to electronic cigarette liquid, it can be made into about 85,000 "zombie vapes," according to the investigation squad at a press conference.

Etomidate is an ultrashort-acting sedative-hypnotic agent used for the induction of anesthesia.

The use of electronic cigarettes containing etomidate can cause loss of cognitive function and bodily control in users and lead them shake abnormally, said Hsu Li-chuan (徐麗娟), deputy head of the Miaoli investigation squad.

The squad received a tip-off and established a special task force with police in Miaoli County and Keelung, Hsu said.

During raids in Miaoli's Jhunan Township and New Taipe's Banqiao District, the task force seized the etomidate, according to Hsu.

In addition to the illegal drug, law enforcement officers also confiscated 72 e-cigarettes and 14,970 vape cartridges filled with the drug.

The task force identified the main suspect as a man surnamed Hsieh (謝) and an accomplice surnamed Yeh (葉), who were found to be in possession of the drug and other evidence.

The case has been referred to the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.

Separately, in mid-July, a man surnamed Huang (黃) was arrested after his car crashed into a police car at high speed, killing one officer.

After the crash, Huang admitted to using etomidate. The case indicated that use of the emerging drug is becoming an increasingly serious problem in Taiwan, Hsu said.

Due to the increasing severity of etomidate abuse among teenagers, the Executive Yuan announced on Aug. 5 that the drug has been classified as a Category 3 narcotic.

Those found guilty of manufacturing, transporting, or selling Category 3 narcotics are subject to a minimum of seven years in prison, under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.