Criminal Investigation Bureau cracks two 'zombie drug' cases

Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) Four individuals have been arrested in separate drug busts involving the substance etomidate, Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Friday as it summarized its efforts in combating the narcotic, known as the "zombie drug."

The bureau said it cracked 681 cases related to the drug between July and September involving 767 individuals engaged in spreading the drug.

It also dismantled 18 locations that were used in the making and packaging of the drug in its street form, destroying a total of 7,540 vape cartridges containing etomidate.

The most recent bust involved a 27-year-old male betel nut seller surnamed Sung (宋), according to the CIB.

Sung apparently has a background with Taiwan's organized crime Bamboo Union faction, the CIB said, and used his betel nut operation in Taoyuan as a front for producing flavored etomidate for "zombie vapes" and then selling it exclusively to gang members for subsequent resale.

According to the bureau, Sung bought the equipment he needed online along with scented oils to make what he called "customizable" flavors of the drug.

He then sold the product to his gang associates for between NT$300 (US$9.36) and NT$500 per milliliter, and it was then refilled into vape cartridges, which sold for NT$2,000 per unit.

The CIB said Sung had been making his product since the beginning of this year with etomidate he likely bought from China, and had made approximately NT$8 million in profits as of October.

After months of investigation, the bureau arrested both Sung and a 22-year-old man surnamed Yang (楊) in Taoyuan.

The second etomidate case solved was done with the assistance of Chiayi County Police Bureau's Minxiong Precinct, the CIB said.

In a press release Friday, the precinct said it was first made aware of the sales of the narcotic in August this year.

The precinct said the source was traced to a rental studio in Tainan, where etomidate was infused with nicotine oil to create vape cartridges that were sold online to teenagers.

Police said that with the help of the Tainan District Prosecutors Office, a Minxiong Precinct and CIB taskforce arrested a 32-year-old man surnamed Wang (王) and a 29-year-old woman surnamed Kuo (郭).

They seized 4,628.6 grams of etomidate and 326 completed cartridges alongside packaging materials and NT$1.62 million.

Suspecting that those involved in both cases violated the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, police said Sung and Yang have been handed over to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for further investigation while Wang and Kuo were taken to the Tainan District Prosecutors Office.

According to CIB Director-General Chou Yu-wei (周幼偉), etomidate is a central nervous system depressant that was designated as a Category 3 narcotic on Aug. 5, 2024.

Chou said the narcotic came to be known as the "zombie drug" as a result of users displaying symptoms of muscle spasms and mental instability after consumption.

Because electronic cigarettes such as vape pens are considered illegal imitation tobacco products, local health bureaus can fine users of the products, the CIB said, and it warned people of the risk of unknowingly consuming etomidate from unknown vape cartridges.