Man charged with trafficking Kpods, first such case under new drug law
Derek Khor Boon Chun was given one charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act for trafficking in a Class C controlled drug by having 43 pods containing etomidate at an Ang Mo Kio car park.
A suspected vape trafficker is arrested (left) with e-vaporisers and related components found in his vehicle. (Photos: Health Sciences Authority)
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SINGAPORE: A man was charged on Monday (Sep 8) with possessing pods with etomidate, or Kpods, for the purpose of trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
This is the first such charging since etomidate - the anaesthetic agent that has been found in vapes - was listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act on Sep 1, and after increased penalties for vape users and suppliers kicked in on the same date.
Before September, etomidate was listed only as a poison, with penalties for Kpod users either under the Poisons Act or the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
Derek Khor Boon Chun, a 40-year-old Singaporean, was given one charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act for trafficking in a Class C controlled drug by having 43 pods containing etomidate at a car park at Block 631, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 at about 4.40pm on Sep 6 this year.
The alleged offence took place six days after the new laws took effect.
Police had found Khor to be in possession of an e-vaporiser and pod, after they were earlier alerted to him behaving suspiciously, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint press release on Monday.
Checks on his phone revealed that he was allegedly involved in vape trafficking activities.
After the case was referred to HSA for further investigations, a search of his vehicle uncovered the vapes and their related components, including pods. The seized pods later tested positive for etomidate.
He was remanded for investigations and will return to court on Sep 15.
If convicted under the Misuse of Drugs Act, he faces a minimum sentence of two years' jail with two strokes of the cane, and a maximum of 10 years' jail with five strokes of the cane.
"The authorities thank members of the public for their vigilance in detecting illegal activities," said MOH and HSA.
"The public plays an important role in supporting law enforcement efforts. In this case, the prompt reporting of suspicious behaviour enabled authorities to prevent illegal supply of e-vaporisers and distribution of harmful controlled drugs."
