HONG KONG — A 22-year-old air passenger from Bangkok has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of bringing in eight kilogrammes of the key component of the emerging drug known as "space oil", worth an estimated HK$8.4 million (36 million baht).
The case was reported on Thursday, a day before etomidate will be classified as a dangerous drug. The government is set to gazette the change and enforce it immediately on Friday. Etomidate and its three analogues - metomidate, propoxate and isopropoxate - will also be listed in the gazette as dangerous drugs.
Currently, etomidate, an anaesthetic, is regulated as a Part 1 poison that can only be prescribed by a doctor.
The male traveller arrived from Bangkok on Thursday, and during customs clearance, a batch of suspected "space oil drug" in powdered form was found concealed in eight packages of fruit-flavoured drink powder in his check-in suitcase.
Additionally, two suspected alternative smoking products were found in his carry-on backpack.
The 8kg of etomidate powder is enough to produce more than 24,000 space oil cartridges, worth about HK$8.4 million.
He was subsequently arrested.
The Customs and Excise Department said it would continue to apply a risk assessment approach to screening passengers and focus on selecting travellers from high-risk regions for additional checks.
Once etomidate is listed as a dangerous drug, possession or consumption of space oil will be punishable by up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of HK$1 million.
Meanwhile, trafficking the substance could result in life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine upon conviction.