Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore
SINGAPORE: A man who allegedly made drug-laced vapes, or Kpods, at home was charged on Thursday (July 17).
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim was manufacturing e-vaporiser pods containing etomidate at home with the intent to sell them.
HSA said Akil's case is the first of its kind in Singapore.
For making these do-it-yourself Kpods, the 41-year-old Singaporean was handed five charges under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
On Dec 11, 2024, Akil was allegedly found with vapes and various related components in an HDB flat at Block 269B Yishun Street 22.
These included 569 pieces of empty pod casings, 534 pieces of pod components, 1,485 pieces of pod covers and 100 loose e-vaporiser pods, among other items, according to charge sheets.
An HSA prosecutor said in court that the authorities were ready with a plea offer for him.
Akil, who attended court via video-link, said he understood the charges and wanted to plead guilty to all of them.
He said he did not want to hire a lawyer, adding: 'I don't want to waste the court's time.'
Akil had earlier been charged with two offences under the Poisons Act for possessing and selling etomidate, a classified poison increasingly detected in vapes.
After midnight on Dec 11, 2024, Akil allegedly sold 100 vape pods outside the same HDB flat.
These vape pods contained 150ml of liquid, which was analysed and found to contain etomidate, according to charge sheets.
Around 5.30am that day at the same location, Akil was allegedly found with 26.4g of white powder, which also contained etomidate.
Kpods are a growing cause for concern here.
The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs said in a joint statement on July 12 that vaping is a serious issue, noting that etomidate may cause adverse effects such as seizures and psychosis.
Used in hospitals to induce sedation during medical procedures, etomidate is meant to be injected into the veins under clinical supervision and is never intended to be inhaled.
When vaped, it enters the lungs directly and may trigger spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis.
The ministries said they were looking at tightening the laws around vaping after the increased detection of vapes containing etomidate and other controlled drugs.
Akil faces one more charge under the Passports Act for making a false statement to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority while applying for a new Singapore passport. He allegedly lied on Jan 20 that he forgot his bag – which contained his NRIC and passport – at a coffee shop, and that his passport was not returned to him.
Akil, who has been in remand since June 20, is slated to plead guilty on July 23.
To report vaping offences and the sale of vaping devices to the authorities, the public can contact HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays. - The Straits Times/ANN
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