The Consumer Protection Police Division and Border Patrol Police Unit 437 dismantled a gang illegally selling "zombie pods" e-cigarettes, which cause users to become "still, stiff, eyes open but unaware." Over 1,000 items were seized, valued at more than 1 million baht.
On 20 October 2026, Police Lieutenant General Natthasak Chaowanasai, Commissioner of the Crime Suppression Division, ordered Police Major General Kritsaporn Panproeng, Commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division, Police Colonel Kraiwit Saenthaweesuk, Superintendent of Division 1, and Police Lieutenant Anan Buakaew, Inspector of Division 1, to join forces with Border Patrol Police Unit 437. They arrested Mr. Nawara Chalee, or Nat, 46, and Mr. Ngui Tek Chuan, or Sam, 51, a Malaysian national. Authorities seized 400 e-cigarette pods mixed with etomidate, 201 empty pods, 725 pod end caps, two bags of white plastic pod caps, and six bottles of ESSENTIAL OIL concentrate, totaling over 1,000 items worth more than 1 million baht.
The Consumer Protection Police Division received a tip that individuals were illegally selling e-cigarette pods containing etomidate, known as "zombie pods," to teenagers in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province. A grey Mitsubishi sedan was used to deliver the products to customers, and a house on Suphasanrangsan Road was used as the mixing and filling site for the pods.
Officers later found the grey Mitsubishi sedan on Ratthakan Road in front of Erawan Gold Shop, Hat Yai subdistrict, Hat Yai district, Songkhla province. They stopped and searched the car, finding 400 e-cigarette pods labeled as containing etomidate. Mr. Nawara, the driver, was taken in for questioning. He admitted he was instructed by Mr. Sam, the Malaysian, to deliver the pods to customers. He then led officers to the rental house in Soi 4, Suphasanrangsan Road, Hat Yai subdistrict, where the pods were mixed and filled. Mr. Sam was arrested there along with additional evidence.
Police Lieutenant Anan Buakaew, Inspector of Division 1, Consumer Protection Police Division, said that e-cigarette pods mixed with etomidate are gaining popularity abroad, necessitating strict investigation and suppression to prevent spread in Thailand. Both suspects confessed that another Malaysian individual imported the equipment and chemicals from abroad. The two suspects injected the etomidate-containing liquid into empty pods, sealed the pod ends, and delivered the filled pods to customers at designated locations under orders from their employer. Investigations continue to identify and prosecute all involved parties.
Initially, the suspects were charged with "jointly distributing a Category 2 controlled substance by possession for sale without a permit" and offenses related to selling e-cigarettes, which are banned products under consumer protection laws and related regulations. The two suspects and seized items were handed over to Hat Yai Police Station for legal proceedings.
Police Lieutenant General Natthasak warned especially young people to be cautious of e-cigarettes illegally mixed with etomidate, a medical anesthetic. When inhaled, the substance rapidly depresses the central nervous system, causing users to become stiff, motionless, walk unsteadily, open their eyes but lose consciousness or awareness, posing serious health risks. Selling or possessing controlled substances for sale without permission is illegal. Anyone with information about illegal production or sale of e-cigarettes may report it via the Consumer Protection Police Division hotline at 1135.