Taiwan Woman Held in Japan Etomidate Smuggling Case
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A 23-year-old Taiwanese woman was arrested on September 9 after arriving at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from Malaysia, where customs officers found 3 litres of liquid containing etomidate in boxed whisky bottles inside her checked luggage. Japanese authorities described it as the largest liquid etomidate seizure ever recorded in Japan. The suspect, identified as Lu Hsiang-ling (呂香綾), denied wrongdoing and said she had agreed to carry items to Japan as a part-time job for someone she met online, claiming she did not know what was inside. Investigators are also looking into whether the case is connected to a string of etomidate smuggling incidents detected at Haneda and Narita airports since April
Key Points
- Lu Hsiang-ling, 23, was stopped after flying from Malaysia to Haneda Airport on September 9, where Japanese customs inspected her checked baggage
- Officers found liquid containing etomidate concealed inside boxed whisky bottles, with the total volume reaching 3 litres
- Police said the haul set a new record for the largest liquid etomidate seizure ever uncovered in Japan
- During questioning, Lu denied the offence and said she was helping transport goods for an online contact as paid casual work
- Tokyo investigators suspect recruiters may be using free overseas trips or high payments to lure people into drug-smuggling “side jobs”
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case adds to regional concern over etomidate trafficking and the way the drug is marketed with misleading labels that can downplay its risks. The report also underlines the danger of cross-border courier schemes that target young people with promises of travel or quick money, while exposing them to serious criminal liability. In Hong Kong, the government has formally standardised the drug’s name as “etomidate” since July 31, 2025, to avoid euphemistic branding and stress its dangers