Singaporean Man, 23, Charged with Trafficking Etomidate Vapes After HSA Raid in Marsiling

A 23-year-old Singaporean man has been charged with possessing dozens of etomidate-laden vape pods for the purpose of trafficking, following a raid by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) earlier this week.

Basil Wang Zhuang Zhen was handed a single charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) on Thursday, December 4. According to court documents, he allegedly had 28 Kpods — vape pods containing the Class C controlled drug etomidate — in his possession at around 12.40 am on Wednesday, December 3, at Block 27 Marsiling Drive.

The case came to light after HSA officers found a disposable vape in Wang's rental car when he arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint on December 2. The discovery prompted officers to search his residence in the early hours of the following morning.

During the raid, authorities seized a large haul of illegal and regulated substances, including 33 vapes and vape pods, 104 bottles of cough syrup and more than 3,500 tablets of prescription medicines such as diazepam and codeine phosphate.

Laboratory tests later confirmed that 28 of the pods contained etomidate. HSA said the pods, cough syrup and tablets were believed to be intended for sale. Additional charges related to the unlawful supply of cough syrup and prescription medication are still under review.

Wang was offered bail of S$30,000. His case is expected to return to court for a pre-trial conference on January 14.

The incident comes amid tougher penalties introduced on September 1 to curb the rise of etomidate vape trafficking.

Under enhanced MDA provisions, those who import Kpods now face between three and 20years' jail and between five and 15 strokes of the cane. Sellers and distributors can be jailed for two to 10 years and caned between two and five strokes. Before the change, such offenders were prosecuted under the Poisons Act and the Tobacco (Control of Advertisement and Sales) Act, which carried lighter punishments.

Between September 1 and November 2, authorities apprehended 1,929 individuals for vape-related offences, including 167 cases involving Kpods.

Members of the public are encouraged to report vaping offences by calling the HSA hotline at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 between 9 am and 9 pm daily, including on public holidays. Reports can also be lodged online via the government website.