Four men nabbed as Singapore cracks down on first suspected transnational Kpod syndicate under tougher anti-vaping law
The case follows an earlier S$800,000 Kpod bust, with suppliers and importers now facing significantly harsher jail terms and caning under the amended law.
Kong Qi Cong (left) and Willy Poh Wei Li (right) being escorted by police officers to the crime scene on Jun 30, 2026. They are accused of being involved in the distribution of etomidate pods. (Photo: CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)
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SINGAPORE: Four Singaporean men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in supplying etomidate-laced “Kpods”, as part of what the authorities said is the first suspected transnational syndicate investigated under Singapore’s tougher Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act.
Harsher penalties on suppliers and importers of vaporiser pods were introduced earlier this year.
Suppliers of etomidate face between two and 10 years’ jail and two to five strokes of the cane if convicted, while importers face a jail term of three to 20 years and five to 15 strokes of caning.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a press release on Tuesday (Jun 30) that during an enforcement operation last Tuesday, its officers arrested Kong Qi Cong, 32, at a residential unit in Teck Whye.
About 1,000 etomidate vape pods and more than S$6,000 (US$4,600) in cash were seized.
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HSA also arrested Willy Poh Wei Li, 32, at a residential unit in Tampines, where another 111 pods were seized.
Two vehicles believed to have been used in the distribution of the etomidate pods in Singapore have been impounded.
The authority also said that the seized pods were confirmed to contain etomidate through laboratory testing.
“The 1,111 etomidate vaporiser pods seized have an estimated street value of more than S$83,000,” HSA added.
Kong and Poh were taken back to the scene of the crime by police officers on Tuesday.
Another two men – Tobias Tan Wei An, 27, and Michael Jordan Tan Wei Hui, 31 – were arrested separately and are suspected to be involved in conspiracies with other people to supply etomidate vaporiser pods.
The four suspects were charged the next day on Jun 24 and remanded for a week to assist with further investigations.
The case’s next mention in court will be on Wednesday.
The arrests came after investigations into a case earlier this year, where more than S$800,000 worth of etomidate pods were seized from two Malaysians at Singapore’s Woodlands Checkpoint.
HSA warned that it takes a serious view of vaporiser and etomidate trafficking offences.
Etomidate, an anaesthetic agent that has been found in vapes, has been listed as a Class C drug in the Misuse of Drugs Act since last September.
This means that it is illegal to traffic, manufacture, import, export, possess or consume etomidate without authorisation.
Under the law, drugs are classified into Class A, B and C, with Class A being the most strictly controlled, such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis.
Source: CNA/nh(sf)
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