"Bangkok E-cigarette Lab Raided: "Zombie Pods" Made with Horse Tranquiliser

Cannabis shop used as front for illegal operation

 

Police have dismantled an illicit e-cigarette manufacturing operation in Bangkok, where “zombie pods” laced with a powerful sedative were being produced. 


The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) raided a residential unit in the Ramintra district on Tuesday afternoon, uncovering a sophisticated production line disguised by a legitimate cannabis shop.


Officers arrested Kanchai, 39, (surname withheld) and seized over 300 e-cigarette cartridges containing Etomidate, a powerful anaesthetic commonly used as a horse tranquiliser, alongside 12 bottles of the substance and associated manufacturing equipment.

 

The raid followed an investigation into the sale of modified e-cigarettes targeting young people and nightclub patrons. Pol Maj Gen Phatthanasak Bupphasuwan, leading the operation, stated that the suspect had been mixing Etomidate into standard e-liquid, creating a dangerous product known as “zombie pods” or “Pod K.”
 

  



 


“This operation is in line with the government’s directive to clamp down on the sale of these harmful devices,” said Pol Maj Gen Phatthanasak. “We discovered that the suspect was not only selling these products but also manufacturing them, a first for Thailand. Most illicit e-cigarettes are smuggled into the country.”



Pol Col  Kraiwit Saentaweesuk revealed that during questioning, Kanchai admitted to sourcing the Etomidate from Chinese suppliers. He then mixed it with commercially available e-liquid and sold the cartridges online for approximately 2,200 baht each. He had been operating for three to four months, generating an estimated 20,000 baht per day.

 



“The suspect confessed to purchasing the e-liquid from standard chemical suppliers, but the Etomidate was smuggled in,” Pol Col Kraiwit explained.
 
 

 



 

Kanchai, who has a previous conviction for cannabis trafficking, had opened a legal cannabis shop after his release from prison and the subsequent relaxation of cannabis laws. However, he then began manufacturing the laced e-cigarettes as a side business, targeting nightclub patrons and public relations staff.


Financial records indicate that Kanchai was selling between 40 and 50 cartridges daily, generating a daily income of approximately 100,000 baht. He has been charged with selling prohibited consumer goods and will face further legal proceedings.


The CPPD has vowed to continue its crackdown on the sale of illicit e-cigarettes, emphasising the dangers posed by these modified products to young people and the wider public.

(2025/03/11-00:00)