Lê Quốc Duy, 40, from An Giang Province, is alleged to have smuggled etomidate-filled vape cartridges from Cambodia through unofficial border crossings before distributing them in HCM City. — Photos cand.vn

HCM CITY — Sleek, fruit-flavoured electronic cigarettes once marketed as fashionable lifestyle accessories have become the latest disguise for narcotics in Việt Nam, as criminal networks increasingly lace vape cartridges with etomidate, a powerful anaesthetic now classified as a controlled narcotic.

Police in HCM City say they have dismantled several interconnected trafficking rings supplying so-called 'chill pod' cartridges containing etomidate, seizing thousands of cartridges and arresting dozens of suspects in what authorities describe as one of the city's largest investigations into drug-laced electronic cigarettes.

The latest crackdown resulted in the seizure of 1,670 etomidate-filled cartridges and the detention of 49 suspects, including four foreign nationals, exposing a sophisticated distribution network stretching from Cambodia into HCM City, Công an Nhân Dân (People's Police) online newspaper reported.

The investigation began after police received information about a dealer known as 'Ba Giá' operating in An Lạc Ward. Officers from the HCM City Police Drug Crime Investigation Division launched a special investigation, conducting weeks of surveillance before conducting the bust at the end of June.

Police identified Ba Giá as 28-year-old Nguyễn Hữu Huân from Đồng Tháp Province. Huân and his wife, Ngô 30-year-old Thị Kim Chi of Bình Tây Ward, were arrested for allegedly selling vape cartridges containing etomidate.

Investigators say the couple represented only one link in a much larger supply chain.

Based on Huân's statements, police expanded the investigation and uncovered another group allegedly led by 26-year-old Huỳnh Ngọc Thúy Như of Phú Định Ward, along with alleged accomplice Hứa Tường Vy, 20, of Chánh Hưng Ward.

The investigation also led officers to 40-year-old Lê Quốc Duy from An Giang Province, who allegedly smuggled etomidate-filled vape cartridges from Cambodia through informal border crossings before distributing them in HCM City.

Police seized a large stockpile of vape cartridges in late April, including 1,783 pre-filled plastic cartridges containing etomidate.

When Duy was arrested, police seized 37 etomidate cartridges, nearly 200g of ketamine and almost 200g of methamphetamine.

Investigators also identified another network allegedly headed by Cambodian national Han Kiat, who is suspected of supplying etomidate-filled vape cartridges to foreign groups organising illegal drug use in the city.

Major Trần Võ Nhật Cương, head of Team 5 under the city's Drug Crime Investigation Division, said most suspects identified so far are from Asian and Southeast Asian countries and are connected through expatriate communities.

"They admitted receiving drugs transported across the Cambodian border before supplying distribution groups in HCM City," he said.

Deputy head of Team 5 Captain Nguyễn Anh Tuấn said investigators identified three interconnected branches within the trafficking network. One branch transported narcotics and etomidate from Cambodia to Vietnamese distributors and another supplied foreign users through foreign suspects, while younger Vietnamese suspects purchased and resold the products to local customers.

Authorities believe the operation reflects an increasingly sophisticated method of drug trafficking, with narcotics concealed inside products that appear virtually identical to ordinary electronic cigarettes.

A separate investigation earlier this year highlighted the scale of the trade.

In late April, police from Hòa Hưng Ward raided premises on 3/2 Street after receiving intelligence about illegal vape production.

Inside, police discovered a large stockpile including 1,783 pre-filled plastic cartridges, 60 electronic vaping devices and 2,012 empty cartridges intended for production.

During questioning, suspects Trần Nguyễn Ngọc Quốc Bảo and Trịnh Thị Như Quỳnh allegedly admitted the products had been supplied by a woman known only as 'Susu' for sale through the Be delivery app.

Police said Susu also recruited Trần Ngọc Phúc and Huỳnh Nguyễn Hữu Thắng to sell the products, while Nguyễn Bảo Lâm acted as a delivery assistant.

Investigators analysed mobile phone data and bank transactions, showing each pre-filled cartridge sold for between VNĐ1.6 million (US$61) and VNĐ2.6 million ($97), while each electronic device was priced at around VNĐ1.4 million.

Vape cartridges containing the prohibited sedative etomidate.

Forensic testing by the HCM City Police Forensic Science Division confirmed that all 1,783 cartridges contained etomidate. The case was later transferred to city investigators, who prosecuted and detained the suspects for illegally trading narcotics.

Authorities say the seizures are part of a broader trend in which narcotics are increasingly disguised as everyday consumer products.

Unlike traditional drugs concealed in packets of powder or tablets, etomidate is dissolved into flavoured vape liquid and sold inside compact electronic devices scented with fruit, mint or candy flavours. The products can easily be carried into bars, karaoke lounges, apartments, guesthouses and entertainment venues without attracting attention.

Police warned that many users do not realise they are inhaling a controlled narcotic.

Traffickers commonly market the products under names such as 'chill pod', 'relax pod' or 'sleep pod', falsely presenting them as stronger versions of conventional electronic cigarettes rather than illegal drugs.

Investigators say curiosity, peer pressure and misleading advertising have become key drivers of use, particularly among younger people.

Police also warned against misleading claims circulating on social media that etomidate doesn't show up on drug tests.

Many users reportedly purchase commercially available rapid drug-test kits, receive negative results and mistakenly believe the products are therefore legal or harmless.

Authorities stress that this assumption is false.

Standard rapid drug tests typically screen only for common substances such as heroin, morphine, methamphetamine or cannabis. Because etomidate has a different chemical structure, it cannot be detected by conventional test strips unless specialised testing is used.

Instead, forensic laboratories rely on advanced analytical techniques capable of identifying etomidate in vape liquid, blood and urine samples.

According to investigators, this misconception has become one of the traffickers' most effective marketing tools.

Etomidate itself is not inherently a harmful substance. In medicine, it is a short-acting intravenous anaesthetic used to induce sleep before surgery and certain emergency procedures. Its use is strictly controlled in hospitals, where patients' vital signs are continuously monitored.

However, when diverted from legitimate medical channels and inhaled recreationally through electronic cigarettes, the drug acts directly on the central nervous system and produces potentially dangerous intoxicating effects.

Medical experts say that users may initially experience relaxation or euphoria before rapidly developing neurological symptoms including confusion, impaired coordination, slurred speech, excessive drowsiness, loss of consciousness and seizures.

HCM City police intensify drug awareness campaigns to educate young people about the risks and harmful effects of illicit substances.

At higher doses, etomidate can suppress breathing and lower blood pressure to life-threatening levels, particularly when combined with alcohol or other sedatives.

Repeated use may also interfere with adrenal gland function, increasing the risk of serious complications during medical emergencies.

Reflecting growing concern over its abuse, Việt Nam officially classified etomidate as a controlled narcotic on January 19. Under current law, the manufacture, trafficking, transport, possession, organisation of use and illegal use of the substance are subject to criminal prosecution.

Police say many young users remain unaware of the legal consequences.

Some suspects told investigators they believed they were simply using ordinary electronic cigarettes before discovering the cartridges contained narcotics.

Authorities warn that what begins as curiosity can quickly lead not only to dependence, but also to criminal liability.

Users may later become involved in trafficking by introducing customers, storing products, arranging gatherings or delivering packages in exchange for money or free supplies.

Officials say enforcement alone will not eliminate the problem.

Parents are urged to pay attention to unexplained behavioural changes, including excessive sleepiness, mood swings, declining academic performance or possession of unfamiliar vaping devices.

Schools are also encouraged to update drug education programmes to reflect the changing tactics of traffickers, helping students recognise narcotics disguised as vape liquids and other seemingly harmless products.

Police emphasise that regardless of colourful packaging or fruit-flavoured vapour, etomidate-filled vape cartridges remain illegal narcotics.

What appears to be an ordinary electronic cigarette may instead become evidence in a criminal investigation.

For many young people, a single puff taken out of curiosity could have consequences far beyond a fleeting high, threatening their health, education, future career and personal freedom, authorities say. — VNS