Man who made Kpods in Yishun flat sentenced to 16 months’ jail on 26 Aug
Last month, a man was charged with manufacturing e-vaporiser pods laced with etomidate (Kpods) with the intent of selling them.
Source: Health Sciences Authority via Channel NewsAsia
After pleading guilty to the charges, 41-year-old Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim was sentenced to 16 months’ jail on Tuesday (26 Aug).
Notably, he was the first person in Singapore to be prosecuted for Kpod-related offences.
Man who made Kpods at Yishun flat pleads guilty
Earlier this month, Mohammed Akil pleaded guilty to three charges relating to e-vaporisers (vapes) and one charge of making a false statement to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
During sentencing on Tuesday (26 Aug), Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu stressed the importance of deterrence for etomidate-linked offences.
Ms Ong noted that Mohammed Akil was experiencing financial troubles when he committed the offences.
However, she also highlighted the transnational elements in his case and the possible involvement of a syndicate.
Seeking a “new approach to sentencing”, HSA prosecutor Yang Ziliang asked for a 12 to 15 months’ jail sentence.
Meanwhile, ICA prosecutor Boo Zhi Ying sought a jail term of between six and eight weeks relating to the charge concerning Mohammed Akil’s passport application.
Deliveryman alerted authorities after finding vapes in parcel
On 11 Dec 2024, authorities uncovered a large stash of vape peripherals in Mohammed Akil’s flat along Yishun Street 22.
The haul included:
- 1,485 pod covers
- 569 empty pod cases
- 534 pieces of pod components
- 100 loose vape pods
26.4g of white powder, which contained enough etomidate to produce more than 70 Kpods, was also found in his Yishun flat.
Source: Health Sciences Authority via Channel NewsAsia
The discovery came after Mohammed Akil received an order via WhatsApp on 11 Dec 2024 from a customer known as “Beast”.
Mohammed Akil agreed to provide 100 pods to Beast and proceeded to place the contraband in a paper bag.
He then asked Beast to arrange for someone to collect the goods.
After collecting the parcel, however, the Lalamove deliveryman noticed that it contained vape devices and immediately alerted the police.
Received S$10 for each pod he prepared
In earlier hearings, Mohammed Akil confessed that he was offered the job of preparing Kpods for customers in Singapore by a man named “Joe”, whom he met at a shopping mall in Johor Bahru.
Joe was in charge of referring customers to Mohammed Akil, with the latter being paid S$10 for each pod he prepared.
The job also required the 41-year-old man to keep filled pods at home.
On 25 Aug, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that etomidate would be classified as a Class C drug from next Monday (1 Sept).
Once the reclassification kicks in, those who abuse or traffic the substance will face harsher punishment.
Also read: Man charged for manufacturing ‘Kpods’ at home in Yishun, first such case in S’pore
Man charged for manufacturing ‘Kpods’ at home in Yishun, first such case in S’pore
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Featured image adapted from Health Sciences Authority via Channel NewsAsia and by MS News.Â
