A 41-year-old man who allegedly made drug-laced vapes, or Kpods, at home was charged on Thursday, July 17, in Singapore.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim was manufacturing e-vaporizer pods containing etomidate at home with an intention to sell them. According to HSA, Akil’s case is the first of its kind in Singapore.
The Singaporean man was handed five charges for making these do-it-yourself Kpods under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
Last year, Akil was allegedly found with vapes and various related components in an HDB flat at Block 269B Yishun Street 22 on December 11.
According to charge sheets, these included, among other things, 100 loose e-vaporizer pods, 1,485 pieces of pod covers, 569 pieces of empty pod casings, and 534 pieces of pod components.
In court, an HSA prosecutor stated that the authorities were prepared to make him a plea deal.
Akil, who appeared in court via video link, stated that he was aware of the charges and wished to enter a guilty plea to each one. However, he didn’t t want to hire a lawyer, stating, “I don’t want to waste the court’s time,” as reported by Straits Times.
Akil was previously accused of two offenses under the Poisons Act for selling and possessing etomidate, a poison that is increasingly found in vape pens.
On December 11, 2024, after midnight, Akil is accused of selling 100 vape pods outside the same HDB apartment.
According to charge sheets, the 150 ml of liquid in these vape pods was analyzed and found to contain etomidate.
Akil was allegedly discovered in possession of 26.4g of white powder, which also contained etomidate, at the same location at 5:30 am that day. Kpods are a growing cause for concern in Singapore.
In a joint statement released on July 12, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that vaping is a serious problem and that etomidate may have negative side effects like psychosis and seizures.
Etomidate, which is used in hospitals to make patients drowsy during medical procedures, is never meant to be inhaled; instead, it is meant to be injected into the veins under clinical supervision.
It enters the lungs directly when vaped, which can cause seizures, breathing problems, spasms, and even psychosis.
Following a rise in the number of vapes found to contain etomidate and other controlled substances, the ministries announced that they were considering stricter regulations regarding vaping.
Akil is also charged under the Passports Act with lying to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority when he applied for a new Singaporean passport. On January 20, he allegedly made up the story that he had left his bag, which included his passport and NRIC, at a coffee shop and that his passport had not been given back.
Akil is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on July 23. He has been under remand since June 20.
The public can call HSA’s Tobacco Regulation Branch at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037, Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5:30 pm, to report vaping offenses and the sale of vaping devices to the authorities.
