HIROSHIMA ¨C An infielder of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp professional baseball team has been arrested for allegedly using etomidate, a designated drug also known as the ¡°zombie cigarette.¡±
Ryutaro Hatsuki, 25, denies the allegation and claims that he has no memory of using the drug, according to Hiroshima Prefectural Police sources.
According to his arrest warrant, served on Tuesday, Hatsuki is suspected of taking a small amount of etomidate.
A person related to Hatsuki reported him to the authorities on Dec. 16 and he voluntarily presented himself to the police, the sources said. Hatsuki gave a urine sample that tested positive for drugs, which was later identified as etomidate.
Etomidate, also known as laughing gas, is used for anesthesia in medical institutions overseas. In Japan, the substance was added to the list of designated drugs in May last year.
Hatsuki joined the Hiroshima Toyo Carp as the seventh draft pick in 2019. Last season, he played in 74 games and stole 17 bases.
On Wednesday, the team issued a statement apologizing for the great concern and inconvenience caused by the incident and promising to cooperate fully with investigative authorities and to implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
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