OSAKA, Jan 22 (News On Japan) –
Two international nationals have been arrested and indicted for allegedly smuggling an unlawful drug referred to as “zombie cigarettes” into Japan by way of Kansai Airport, marking the primary time a case involving the substance has been uncovered in Osaka, authorities mentioned on January twentieth.
Videos posted on Chinese social media present individuals trembling, staggering and collapsing on the street, unable even to face, after reportedly utilizing the drug. The substance is formally referred to as etomidate, an anesthetic that has been abused in liquid kind and inhaled primarily by way of e-cigarettes.
Reporter Saori Kato mentioned the suspects arrived at Kansai Airport on a flight from Thailand and are believed to have introduced the drug into the nation by concealing it inside a suitcase.
Police mentioned the drug could cause numbness within the limbs and impaired consciousness, whereas specialists warned that it carries a excessive danger of dependence and could be deadly in massive doses.
Masahiko Funada, a professor at Shonan University of Medical Sciences’ Faculty of Pharmacy, mentioned circumstances of dying linked to heavy consumption have been reported abroad, including that the drug’s quick length of impact can lead customers to take it repeatedly, rising the probability of habit.
The suspects, recognized as Thai nationals together with defendant Thura Ganwara, are accused of smuggling 1,002 cartridges containing a liquid combination together with etomidate for the aim of sale in November final yr.
Kato mentioned customs officers discovered the cartridges hidden inside baggage of dried fruit, and the 2 suspects allegedly tried to enter Japan claiming they have been on a “honeymoon.”
Authorities mentioned abuse of the drug was first confirmed in Okinawa, the place staff in leisure districts have reported seeing individuals staggering, stiffening up, or collapsing after utilizing it.
The drug has since been linked to a number of smuggling circumstances throughout Japan. Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly bringing the substance into Narita Airport from India in July final yr, and the Oita District Court handed down responsible verdicts on January ninth. In one other case this month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a person in his 50s for allegedly smuggling the drug from Thailand, elevating issues that its use is spreading into the Kanto area.
Many individuals in Osaka mentioned that they had not heard of “zombie cigarettes,” whereas others mentioned that they had solely vaguely seen the time period within the news and described it as horrifying.
Police mentioned the drug is usually bought on social media underneath code phrases similar to “laughing gas” and are stepping up vigilance over its doable unfold amongst younger individuals.
Source: YOMIURI