Taiwan Police Seize 100kg of Etomidate Smuggled from India, Worth Over NT$2 Billion

Taiwanese authorities have seized a significant quantity of etomidate, a potent anesthetic drug, that was being smuggled into the country from India. The operation, led by the Third Special Police Corps under the direction of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, intercepted 100 kilograms of etomidate powder at the Kaohsiung Customs.

The illicit substance was concealed within shipments declared as legal chemicals. Authorities estimate that this amount of etomidate could be used to produce approximately 1 million vape cartridges, often referred to as "zombie" drugs due to their psychoactive effects. The black market value of the seized drugs is estimated to be over NT$2 billion (approximately $62 million USD).

This seizure follows a larger bust in early 2023, where the same police unit dismantled a major smuggling ring involving the Bamboo Union's Mingren Society, confiscating 300 kilograms of etomidate. In the current case, police arrested two men, identified by their surnames as Cheng and Pan, who were allegedly involved in orchestrating and receiving the shipment. Cheng, the alleged mastermind, was detained pending investigation, while Pan was released on bail. Both have been indicted by prosecutors. The investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend other potential accomplices in this transnational drug smuggling operation.