Taiwan said it investigated 399 drug smuggling cases in the first half of the year and seized more than 20 tons of illegal drugs and precursor chemicals, as authorities step up a crackdown on supply chains running through China and other parts of Asia.
The Ministry of the Interior told lawmakers on July 6 that the confiscated items reflected a broader shift in Taiwan’s anti-drug campaign, with officials now treating narcotics trafficking as a security threat as well as a crime problem. The focus has sharpened on synthetic drugs such as etomidate, which authorities say are increasingly flowing through supply chains tied to China, Vietnam, Malaysia and India.
Often consumed by vaping, etomidate is a fast-acting drug that can make a person sleepy, confused or unconscious. The drug can also cause muscle spasms, vomiting, disorientation and allergic reactions. Taiwanese authorities said repeated abuse can lead to breathing problems and adrenal suppression, and in severe cases can be fatal, especially if combined with other drugs or alcohol.
Taiwan reclassified the drug as a Class I narcotic on June 17.
Taiwanese police said the most common ways to smuggle etomidate were in luggage and packages sent through the mail, while other cases involved containers and fishing vessels.
The interior ministry said officers confiscated 711 kilograms of Class I drugs, mainly heroin. Seizures of Class II drugs including cannabis, etomidate and amphetamines totalled 7,009 kilograms; Class III drugs including ketamine totalled 7,718 kilograms; Class IV drugs totalled 5,166 kilograms.
Taiwan’s etomidate problem has grown rapidly in recent years. Police recorded 4,725 drug-impaired driving cases from January to April this year, including 745 involving etomidate; earlier data showed etomidate seizures rising from 133 cases in the last six months of 2024 to 2,740 in all of 2025.
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau has separately said it is expanding intelligence work against drug networks, using drones, online monitoring and cryptocurrency tracing to track smuggling routes. The bureau said China is the main source of raw materials used to make etomidate.
The country’s anti-drug push has also reached the military. In April, prosecutors in outlying Kinmen detained a commander after the Coast Guard linked him to drug shipments, and local media said he was later removed from his position. The case drew particular attention because Kinmen is one of Taiwan’s frontline islands facing China, making any discipline lapse there a matter of criminal concern as well as security.
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