SINGAPORE — A Singaporean man was part of a group arrested in Bangkok for selling drug-laced electronic cigarettes, amassing nearly 16 million baht (S$627,000) in suspected ill-gotten gains, said the police in Thailand.

The 37-year-old Singaporean man, identified by the police as Neo Ming Loon, was among six suspects arrested on April 30.

Evidence, including vaping equipment and cash, was also seized in two raids — one at a house in the Bangkok subdistrict of Din Daeng, the other at an apartment in the Pathum Thani province north of the Thai capital.

The Royal Thai Police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) said in a statement on May 2 that they had received a report about smuggled e-cigarettes or vapes that were mixed with narcotics like ketamine and hawked as "Kpods" to tourists.

Suspicions were partially confirmed when an undercover officer managed to purchase a vape from one of the suspects described as a low-level dealer at around 2,500 baht, said the police.

Investigations found that etomidate, a substance commonly used as a medical anaesthetic, and not ketamine, had been mixed into the vape pods.

The vapes, also known as "zombie cigarettes", act as depressants on the nervous system and can cause unconsciousness, heart failure and even death if inhaled in large quantities, said the CIB.

Neo and two other Thai nationals — Phanuwat Eiatthongdam and Siwaporn Paiplod — were found to be supplying the vapes to the low-level dealers.

One of the dealers, who also acted as a middleman, was 33-year-old Thai national Nattapol Boontham, whom the police estimated to have earned more than 25 million baht from vape sales within the past year.

According to the police, as cited by Thai newspaper Thairath, Nattapol said customers would contact him to buy the vapes he obtained from Neo, a friend he met at an entertainment venue. He also revealed that he sold the vapes at about 1,400 baht each, receiving a share of 300 baht to 400 baht each time.

Further investigations led to suspicions of Neo, Phanuwat and Siwaporn being also guilty of money laundering.

The Singaporean was discovered to be using Phanuwat's bank account for transactions linked to buying and selling the vaping products. Other bank passbooks and cards were found with Siwaporn, with about 15.8 million baht of suspected vaping proceeds found across six bank accounts, said the police.

Neo was also charged with entering Thailand illegally.

At a separate CIB raid at a condominium in Pathum Thani, evidence totalling 12.8 million baht in the possession of Neo and Siwaporn — including a car, a land title deed, jewellery, vaping equipment and around 5.8 million baht in cash — was seized.

Investigations are ongoing.

Like in Singapore, vaping is banned in Thailand. Selling or producing e-cigarettes, Kpods or refill fluids is also a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.

In February, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra launched a multi-agency crackdown on vapes that were illegally imported and sold in the kingdom, urging the public to report such cases to the police.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.