16 Months' Jail for Man Who Made Vape Pods With Etomidate in First Kpod Conviction Case

In Singapore's first conviction linked to Kpods, a man was sentenced to 16 months' jail and a fine of $400 on Aug 26 after he produced the etomidate-laced pods for sale to e-vaporiser users.

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

In December 2024, Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim, 41, was caught in his Yishun flat with 26.4g of a white powder that contained enough etomidate to produce more than 70 Kpods.

The Singaporean had pleaded guilty on Aug 13 to multiple charges, most of them involving vaping-related products. He also admitted that he had made a false statement to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

On Aug 26, Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu said that deterrence is paramount in offences linked to etomidate.

She stressed that the potentially devastating effects of etomidate abuse are apparent, and the substance had been detected in multiple unnatural death cases, including a fatal traffic accident.

On July 25, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that etomidate had been detected in the blood samples of two people involved in an accident in Punggol Road in May.

As for Akil's case, the judge said that it had transnational elements and could involve a syndicate.

She also noted that he was facing financial difficulties when he committed his etomidate-related offences.