TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Miaoli Investigation Branch said Wednesday (Sept. 4) that it had apprehended two male individuals with 7.46 kilograms of Schedule III drug etomidate, a quantity sufficient to create 85,000 drug-laced vape cartridges.

Etomidate has been referred to as a “zombie drug” for its short-term anesthetic effect on users who typically smoke it via vape cartridges. Hospitals use etomidate as an intravenous anesthetic for procedures such as intubation and general surgery. On the streets, it can have a devastating impact on users, leading to uncontrollable twitching, drowsiness, and vomiting.

CGA Miaoli Investigation Branch d Deputy Captain Hsu Li-Chuan (徐麗娟) said his group received a tip-off about the shipment a few days ago and that it was being smuggled from China into Taiwan. The CGA Miaoli Investigation Branch teamed up with the CGA Keelung City Second Investigation Branch to form a task force, per CNA.

The task force then identified the main suspect as a male surnamed Hsieh (謝) and an accomplice surnamed Yeh (葉), who was found to have 7.46 kilograms of etomidate along with 72 e-cigarettes,14,970 vape cartridges filled with oil, and other evidence.

Hsu said etomidate is an ultra-short-acting anesthetic that is often added to vape cartridges and e-cigarettes. 

In mid-July, a man surnamed Huang (黃) crashed into a police car at high speed, causing one police officer to die from serious injuries. Afterward, Huang admitted to smoking etomidate through a vape cartridge.

This incident shows the growing danger of emerging drugs such as etomidate. Taiwan’s Cabinet addressed the problem by designating etomidate as a Schedule III drug on Aug. 5.