Ho Chi Minh City police bust large Etomidate‑laden Pod Chill drug ring

The Ho Chi Minh City Police (TP.HCM) dismantled a major drug‑trafficking network that concealed the synthetic drug Etomidate inside electronic‑cigarette pods marketed as "Pod Chill." The operation seized 1,460 pre‑filled pods, about 10 L of Etomidate‑infused oil (enough to produce roughly 5,000 pods), 13,500 empty pod shells, 595 pod devices and a range of mixing and pumping equipment.

Investigators say the ring was led by 24‑year‑old Lê Quang Trọng of Bình Tân district. Etomidate was smuggled from Cambodia into Vietnam, processed into oil, filled into the pods and distributed to schools, universities and other youth venues in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. A total of 37 suspects were arrested; 30 were placed in temporary detention while the police continue to build cases against an additional seven individuals. Authorities warned that the disguised drug posed a serious risk to teenagers and students.