Published: 2026/4/19 19:20 Updated: 2026/4/19 19:20
Chen Jiaxin, Xu Jiarui / Comprehensive Report
A Taiwanese woman surnamed Liu entered Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from Thailand on the 16th and was found by customs to be carrying approximately 4 kilograms of etomidate in a hidden compartment of her suitcase. Japanese police are investigating her for violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, making this the largest case of its kind uncovered in Japan since the country began controlling drugs.
Police used batons to smash the car window and ordered the suspect to get out and be arrested. However, in an attempt to evade police, the suspect veered off course and tried to enter a private community, damaging access control equipment. She was eventually apprehended by police, and etomidate cartridges and other drugs were found in the car. She is being prosecuted for drug offenses and endangering public safety.
Zheng Chunjia, deputy captain of the First Squadron of the Security Police Brigade, said, “We apprehended suspects surnamed Chen and Zhan, and seized heroin, amphetamines, and etomidate cartridges. The case has been transferred to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation on charges of endangering public safety and violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.”
Police pointed out that the so-called “zombie cartridges” are e-cigarettes containing etomidate, currently classified as a Class II controlled substance in Taiwan. This emerging drug is also circulating in Japan, Europe, and the United States. On the 16th, Japan apprehended a 50-year-old Taiwanese woman surnamed Liu at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport for smuggling approximately 4 kilograms of etomidate from Thailand.
Wang Po-Chi, associate professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University said, “Most cases are due to its form as an e-liquid or cartridge. If it’s now in powder form, we need to be more careful about how it’s smuggled in this way, as the amount transported can sometimes be considerable.”
Yan Zong-hai, director of the Clinical Toxicology Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, explained, “It’s a short-acting anesthetic drug. When it’s added to e-cigarette liquid and used as a drug, it acts on the central nervous system, causing confusion and strange physical movements.”
During police questioning, Ms. Liu denied the crime, stating that she came to Japan to shop, borrowed her suitcase, and was unaware that it contained etomidate. However, the police still transferred her to the prosecutor’s office on charges of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, making it the largest case uncovered in Japan since etomidate was designated as a drug in May of last year (2025).
Professor Wang Po-Chi, in an interview with PTS News Network, stated that a Taiwanese woman was arrested in Japan for smuggling 4 kilograms of etomidate, marking the largest seizure since Japan began listing her as a controlled substance.