‘Zombie pods’ seized ahead of Halloween night

More than 3,000 electronic cigarettes and “zombie pods” worth nearly 3 million baht have been seized in the Northeast in a crackdown on smuggled products ahead of Halloween celebrations.

The Chong Chom Customs House, which oversees Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Surin provinces, announced the operation on Saturday.

Officers recently stepped up monitoring of suspicious activities and tracking the movement of high-risk goods, said Prasit Deechongcharoen, chief of the Chong Chom Customs House.

They joined forces with the Nakhon Ratchasima Mail Centre to inspect parcels sent through the domestic postal system, resulting in the seizure of the e-cigarettes and zombie pods.

Also called “K-pods”, zombie pods are e-cigarette vape pods laced with illegal synthetic drugs or medical anaesthetics — most commonly etomidate — along with substances like ketamine, methamphetamine, or synthetic cannabinoids.

The goods were believed to have been smuggled into Thailand from the southern border region and were valued at nearly 3 million baht, said Mr Prasit.

He said the operation had helped prevent potentially hazardous illegal products from reaching consumers, particularly young people, ahead of Halloween, when teenagers might gather for parties and unknowingly expose themselves to the health risks associated with e-cigarettes.

He also issued a warning to smugglers and illegal traders, saying the customs office operated under a strict “arrest, not negotiate” policy.

“Anyone caught will be arrested without negotiation and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.