Man Steals Car and Drives Under Influence, Refuses Inspection and Runs Red Lights; Yilan Police Arrest Him and Seize 'Zombie Vapes'

A man surnamed Tsai was involved in stealing a Mercedes in Yilan and driving under the influence of drugs. He refused to stop for police inspection, ran red lights, and was eventually intercepted and arrested. Police seized the second-grade drug 'Etomidate' (vape cartridges) from Tsai. After questioning by the prosecutor, the court approved his detention. Police investigation revealed that the 33-year-old Tsai stole a Mercedes in Luodong Township in the early hours of the 23rd and fled. Police immediately notified online officers to intercept and surround him. The stolen Mercedes was spotted in Yilan City, but Tsai refused to stop for inspection, accelerated to flee, and drove dangerously by running red lights. Police pursued him to a dead-end alley on Huishen 1st Road in Yuanshan Township, where they stopped the vehicle around 3:00 AM that day. Two officers, holding pistols and batons, opened the door and ordered Tsai to get out of the car, eventually working together to pull him out and subdue him on the ground. Police seized the second-grade drug 'Etomidate,' commonly known as 'zombie vapes,' from Tsai. A saliva test showed Tsai was positive for drugs. After questioning, police transferred Tsai to the Yilan District Prosecutors Office on charges of violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, public endangerment, and theft. After the prosecutor's interrogation, the court approved his detention. Yilan County Police Bureau Chief Chen Chin-cheng stated today that to prevent traffic safety hazards caused by driving under the influence of drugs, the bureau will continue to strengthen crackdowns, expand special duty assignments for drug-impaired driving, and set up checkpoints at important intersections and accident-prone road sections to comprehensively prevent drug-impaired driving violations.