Four Singaporean men were arrested on June 23 for their alleged involvement with a transnational vape syndicate that supplies etomidate-laced vape pods, also known as Kpods.
This is the first time the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is investigating a syndicate of this nature under the new Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TCVA), it said on Tuesday (June 30).
Kong Qi Cong, 32, was found with 1,000 Kpods at a Teck Whye flat on the morning of June 23, according to court documents seen by AsiaOne. Enforcement officers also seized more than $6,000 in cash.
At a simultaneous raid of a Tampines flat, Willy Poh Wei Li, 32, was found with 111 etomidate vape pods.
The seized etomidate vape pods have an estimated street value of more than $83,000, according to HSA.
Two other men — Tobias Tan Wei An, 27 and Michael Jordan Tan Wei Hui, 31 — were arrested separately and are suspected to be involved in discussions with other persons to supply Kpods.
The four suspects, were charged in court on June 24 and remanded for a week to assist with further investigations.
Both Poh and Kong were brought to a six-storey car park at Compassvale Walk on Tuesday (June 30) afternoon. The location is where the transactions were suspected to be carried out, a HSA spokesperson told AsiaOne.
Officers first brought in Poh, who was dressed in a white collared t-shirt and slippers and had his head hung low, to the fifth floor of the building at around 2.40pm.
He spoke briefly to officers there before being escorted out of the scene.
At 2.53pm, Kong arrived similarly attired and was escorted to the fourth floor of the car park.
Standing in front of a parking lot on the fourth floor, Kong was questioned.
Two vehicles believed to have been used in the local distribution of Kpods have also been impounded, HSA said on Tuesday.
Further investigations are ongoing, and the case will be heard in court again on July 1.
@asiaone Under Section 19C(2) of the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993, the men face between two to 10 years' imprisonment and two to five strokes of the cane if convicted. #sgnews #singapore #crime #vape #Court ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
The arrests of the four men follow investigations from an importation case where 12,273 Kpods worth more than $800,000 were seized at Woodlands Checkpoint in May 2026.
Two Malaysian nationals who were transporting the vape pods to Singapore via car are the first to be charged for importation under the TVCA.
Under the TCVA, etomidate is listed in a special category as a "specified psychoactive substance", replacing its temporarily status as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
Convicted suppliers face a jail sentence of two to 10 years and two to five strokes of the cane, while importers face between three to 20 years’ imprisonment, and five to 15 strokes of the cane.
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