Seven people have been arrested in the Guangdong city of Foshan for manufacturing drug-laced energy drinks, according to numerous media reports.
The arrests occurred during a raid on a facility that produces the Kawa Tide energy drink, which is owned by Sichuan Tibet Holding Company, according to a Weibo post by the Nanhai District Police Department.
Authorities seized manufacturing equipment and numerous batches of the beverage, which was found to contain GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), a psychoactive substance often associated with date rape.
In small doses, GHB has an effect similar to alcohol, producing feelings of euphoria, sociability and drowsiness, according to the US National Library of Medicine. In larger doses, the drug can cause users to fall unconscious and, in very high doses, lead to hypoventilation and even death.
Kawa Tide, which comes in a eye-catching bottle with alternating stripes of black and red or yellow, is popular in late-night watering holes and KTVs across China. It's been found in over 20 provinces and generally costs about RMB38, according to The Paper.
Guangdong police were tipped off to the energy drink’s euphoric qualities after several individuals came forward to report they experienced feelings of exhilaration and giddiness after consuming the beverage.
No date has been provided by police for the raid on the Foshan Kawa Tide production factory, although we can report it comes after authorities in another Guangdong city, Zhongshan, carried out operations against two facilities producing Kawa Spring, another GHB-containing beverage.
China banned GHB in 2005 and Guangdong recently banned the manufacturing and sale of all Kawa drinks, according to Beijing Youth Daily.
The Foshan Kawa Tide case is still under investigation.
[Images via Guangzhou Pufa, Vice]
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