By KHT Staff. Image via China Times.
NEW TAIPEI — Taiwanese police have uncovered a cross-border drug operation in which a fugitive based in Cambodia allegedly directed the production of narcotics in Taiwan via video calls.
Authorities said the case centers on a makeshift drug lab in Wugu District (五股區), New Taipei City (新北市), where two men — surnamed Ko (柯), 32, and Wen (溫), 27 — were arrested while manufacturing so-called “zombie vape cartridges.”
Investigators, reports the China Times, seized more than 1 kilogram of etomidate (依托咪酯), a controlled anesthetic substance. Officials said the quantity could be processed into more than 10,000 cartridges with an estimated street value exceeding NT$20 million.
Prosecutors said the alleged ringleader, a man surnamed Chen (陳) with unclear links to Kaohsiung City, has been operating from Cambodia for several years and used video calls to instruct the two suspects on drug production and packaging. He remains at large and has been placed on a wanted list.
The operation marketed flavored cartridges — including melon, peach, and mango — targeting younger users. Etomidate has been linked to severe central nervous system suppression. Authorities noted the substance has been connected to several recent drug-impaired driving incidents in Taiwan, including one in Kaohsiung City in early March, which led to the death of a 44-year-old mother of three.
Police said etomidate (依托咪酯) can strongly suppress the central nervous system, with users often experiencing confusion, tremors, and “zombie-like” reactions, while also warning that vape cartridges lacking clear ingredient labeling or manufacturer information — particularly those sold through private social media channels or marketed as “high-strength” or “legal alternatives to cannabis” — are highly likely to contain illegal drugs, and urged people not to experiment with them.
