Hong Kong police to carry new rapid test kits in crackdown on ‘space oil’ drug

Hong Kong police officers will start carrying rapid testing kits from Saturday to combat a newly emerging narcotic known as “space oil”, which is set to be prohibited soon in response to a significant uptick in related criminal cases last year.

Chief Inspector Kelvin Cheung Ka-wing of the force’s narcotics bureau said the kits would help law enforcement efficiently pinpoint individuals in possession of the drug.

The narcotic is typically packaged in e-cigarette capsules and contains the anaesthetic etomidate, which poses risks to users’ physical and mental health.

Officers can detect traces of etomidate by wiping the kit’s test strip against a vaping device’s inhale and inject ports, before soaking it in the testing solution for 10-15 seconds.

“After the first half of 2024, space oil has risen to become the third most commonly abused drug substance among individuals under 21 years old, signifying a concerning trend of abuse of space oil or etomidate in Hong Kong with a shocking increase in numbers,” Cheung said.

Police recorded 141 cases involving space oil between January and November of last year, leading to the arrest of 206 people.