17-07-2025
Man charged over manufacturing 'kpods' at home
SINGAPORE: A 41-year-old man has been charged over manufacturing "kpods" at home.
Kpods are vapes laced with drugs, such as ketamine or etomidate. Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim was on Thursday (Jul 17) given five more charges, including the possession of e-vaporisers, or vapes, vape pods and other components.
He was found on Dec 11, 2024, with hundreds of such items in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat at Block 296B Yishun Street 22.
These included 569 empty pod casings, 1,485 pod covers, 100 loose vape pods and disposable vapes.
He had earlier been charged under the Poisons Act for selling and possessing etomidate.
He allegedly sold 100 vape pods outside the same HDB flat just after midnight on Dec 11, 2024. These pods were later analysed and found to contain etomidate.
At about 5.30am that same day, Akil was allegedly found with 26.4 grams of white powder that had etomidate.
According to the court system, Akil intends to plead guilty.
Earlier this year, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it is closely monitoring the use of vapes to consume etomidate, a fast-acting anaesthetic used in medical procedures.
As of Jun 30, HSA has detected 28 cases involving etomidate this year.
Adverse effects of etomidate include nausea and vomiting, uncontrollable movement or spasm of muscles, changes to breathing and blood pressure, and seizures and psychosis that can endanger health.
HSA warned that inhaling it directly into the lungs can cause side effects like spasms, breathing issues and seizures.
