The operation was uncovered by the city's Drug Crime Investigation Police Division (PC04) as part of a nationwide crackdown on emerging drugs, particularly Etomidate concealed in Pod Chill e-cigarettes. The ring allegedly obtained the drug from abroad and operated a closed-loop network covering transportation, processing, and distribution.
Initial investigations identified Le Quang Trong, 26, residing in Binh Tan Ward, HCMC, as the alleged ringleader. Members of the ring reportedly smuggled Etomidate from Cambodia into Vietnam, mixed it into e-liquid, injected the liquid into Pod Chill cartridges, and distributed the finished products to dealers in HCMC and neighboring provinces and cities.
Police simultaneously arrested key suspects and expanded their investigation to identify other members. Based on collected evidence, the HCMC Investigation Police Agency initiated a criminal case and prosecuted 30 suspects, ordering their detention pending investigation for drug trafficking, organizing illegal drug use, and illegal drug use. Seven other individuals are being investigated and handled as evidence is consolidated.
Police seized a substantial quantity of evidence, including about 10,000ml of Etomidate-laced e-liquid stored in 21 plastic bottles, 1,460 pre-filled Pod Chill cartridges, 13,500 empty cartridges, 595 pod devices, and various mixing, extraction, and liquid-injection tools.
Investigators estimated that the seized 10,000ml of Etomidate-containing liquid could have been used to produce nearly 5,000 finished Pod Chill cartridges. The large stockpile of empty cartridges and specialized processing equipment indicated that the suspects had prepared for large-scale production.
Had all the empty cartridges been filled with the drug and released onto the market, they could have exposed thousands of users to the substance, particularly teenagers, schoolchildren, and university students.
According to police, Etomidate is classified as a narcotic substance under Vietnamese law. The suspects nevertheless exploited public ignorance by disguising the drug in attractively designed e-cigarettes featuring various fruit flavors, making them appealing to potential users.
Police said the crackdown prevented a large quantity of Etomidate from reaching the market and demonstrated their proactive and determined efforts to combat emerging drugs.
HCMC police will continue expanding the investigation and targeting networks involved in producing, trafficking, transporting, and organizing the illegal use of Etomidate and other emerging drugs. Any attempt to disguise drug-related criminal activities in e-cigarettes, food or beverages will be dealt with strictly, police said.
