Forty-nine suspects, including four foreigners, have been arrested in HCM City for alleged trafficking of an illegal anesthetic substance. — VNA/VNS Photos

HCM CITY — Forty-nine people, including four foreigners, have been arrested in HCM City for alleged trafficking of an illegal anesthetic substance hidden in electronic cigarettes, the city’s drug-related crime investigation police division said on Wednesday.

A total of 1,670 vape pods were seized, along with hundreds of grams of ketamine and methamphetamine.

The substance is etomidate, a short-acting sedative that can only be used for surgical anesthesia under close supervision of a specialist.

It was added to the Government's list of controlled substances in January, which means its sales and use can constitute a criminal offence.

The substance has been mixed into sweeteners for e-cigarettes to be sold at high prices under appealing names of ‘chill pod’, ‘relaxation pod’, ‘sleep-well pod’ and ‘fly pod’, according to the police.

These drug-containing pods could have been sold to bars, karaoke venues, rented apartments and many other places frequented by young people.

Two of the foreigners arrested are South Korean nationals, along with one Chinese and one Cambodian.

E-cigarettes containing etomidate confiscated from the suspects.

The investigation started when the police were tipped off about a male suspect commonly known by the nickname of Ba Giá, who was buying and selling e-cigarettes on An Dương Vương Street in An Lạc Ward.

He was later identified as Nguyễn Hữu Huân, 28, from the southern province of Đồng Tháp.

Huân and his wife Ngô Thị Kim Chi, 30, were arrested on June 25 for illegal sales of vapes containing etomidate to Trần Phúc, 31, a HCM City resident.

Further investigation uncovered two networks that supplied the vapes to Huân.

One was led by Huỳnh Ngọc Thúy Như, 26, assisted by Hứa Tường Vy, 20, both HCM City residents.

The other was led by Lê Quốc Duy, 40, from An Giang Province, who smuggled the vapes from Cambodia to Việt Nam through small border crossings in his province, then transferred them to HCM City.

Thirty-seven vape pods were confiscated from Duy, together with 200 grams of ketamine and 200 grams of methamphetamine.

Further investigation pointed to another supplier group led by Han Kiat, a Cambodian national, and three other foreigners, who were supplying the vapes to foreigners living in HCM City.

Dangerous substance

According to the police, unlike regular nicotine, etomidate – when inhaled – passes through the lungs to go directly into the bloodstream and reach the brain within seconds.

Users may experience a lightheaded feeling and mild hallucinations initially, but acute effects can follow, including neurotoxicity, drowsiness, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.

High doses or use of etomidate in combination with alcohol, beer or other sedatives can cause sudden respiratory arrest and lead to death.

Young people may be tempted to try the vapes as they look trendy and fashionable, the police warned.

Criminals may also advertise the substance as ‘undetectable’ or ‘100 per cent negative’ to lure customers, as rapid test kits available on the market can only detect traditional drugs such as heroin, cannabis, or methamphetamine.

Etomidate has a different chemical structure, which means only specialised analysis systems used by the police and forensic agencies can provide accurate results for its tests.

The HCM City police advises citizens, especially young people, not to use e-cigarettes of unknown origin, not to believe advertisements, and to report any acts of buying, selling, possessing, transporting or organising the illegal use of drugs. — VNS