2 M'sians, 26 & 24, allegedly import over S$800,000 worth of Kpods into S'pore in largest haul to date

Two Malaysian nationals were charged in court on May 8 for allegedly importing over S$800,000 worth of etomidate vaporiser pods, colloquially known as Kpods, into Singapore.

This is largest haul of Kpods illegally imported into Singapore to date.

Detained at Woodlands

According to a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) press release on May 15, officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) detained the two suspects on May 6.

The suspects are Muhammad Izzat Emer Bin Mohd Hassan, a 26-year-old man, and Nurain Binti Ismail, a 24-year-old female.

The pair had been entering Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint in a Malaysia-registered car.

Kpods discovered

ICA officers then discovered 12,273 vaporiser pods concealed in 161 parcels hidden in the car.

They alerted HSA, whose officers quickly attended to the scene to take over investigations.

The seized pods were suspected to contain etomidate, with an estimated street value exceeding S$800,000, the release stated.

Investigations are ongoing.

Penalties

HSA noted that this is the first importation case under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 (TVCA).

It was mentioned again in court on May 15 and has been adjourned to Jun. 26.

The amended Act, which includes a prohibition on etomidate and its analogues, came into effect on May 1 this year.

Previously, it was listed as an illegal drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act as an interim measure by the government to crack down on Kpods.

Under the Act, importers who are convicted face a sentence of three to 20 years' jail and five to 15 strokes of the cane.

Suppliers face a sentence of two to 10 years' jail and two to five strokes of the cane.