65 arrested in Vietnam Kpod drug ring bust
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- Ho Chi Minh City police arrested 65 people — including 4 Singaporeans, 4 Malaysians and 2 Taiwanese — for running a ring that sold etomidate-laced e-cigarette pods to Vietnamese and foreign customers.
- Malaysian Hoo Jia How, 30, and Singaporean Melvin Tan Junjie, 30, were identified as the alleged ringleaders after a raid on a rented house on Cong Quynh Street in Cau Ong Lanh ward.
- The initial raid seized 1,331 e-cigarette cartridges and 140ml of etomidate-infused liquid; two more distribution networks were later dismantled, pushing total seizures to nearly 2,000 cartridges and 140ml of liquid.
- Singaporean Oh Jang Fong was accused of supplying the etomidate liquid used to fill the cartridges before distribution through local dealers.
- The ring promoted Kpods with misleading claims including "won't show up on drug tests" and "not a narcotic," exploiting users' false belief that the products were safe.
- Vietnam classified etomidate as a narcotic in early 2026; authorities warned inhalation can cause drowsiness, seizures, respiratory depression, low blood pressure and death.
- The investigation, which began after officers detected signs of the operation in early July, is ongoing, with Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs approached for comment.
Why it matters: The bust exposes how quickly a newly reclassified substance — etomidate, only declared a narcotic in Vietnam in early 2026 — has spawned a cross-border pipeline run by Singaporean, Malaysian and Taiwanese nationals and shipped to overseas buyers. The ring's open marketing of "won't show up on drug tests" claims shows sellers exploited the regulatory gap before enforcement caught up, adding a new front to Southeast Asia's vape-drug trade.
