Man charged over 5 Kpods containing etomidate, including 3 allegedly for sale
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 08 Aug 2025
Author: Shaffiq Alkhatib
A man has been charged with having five Kpods containing etomidate in his possession, three of which were allegedly for sale.
A man has been charged with having five Kpods containing etomidate in his possession, three of which were allegedly for sale.
On Aug 7, Muhammad Sabriee Mohd Tahar, 22, was also charged with being in possession of three vaporisers for sale.
The Singaporean is accused of committing these offences in Coleman Street shortly after midnight on Oct 5, 2024.
Kpods are vapes that contain vape juice mixed with potent ingredients such as etomidate or ketamine.
Separately, Sabriee was earlier handed 12 other charges over unrelated offences, including multiple counts of misusing a computer system.
In earlier proceedings, the court heard that Sabriee is accused of using different bank cards to unlawfully access multiple automated teller machines (ATMs) between September and October 2024.
He was in Coleman Street at around 12.20am on Oct 5 that year when he allegedly had in his possession 13 ATM cards that did not belong to him. These cards were said to be fraudulently obtained.
Later that morning, he allegedly obstructed the course of justice by dropping his mobile phone and stomping on it around three times.
His pre-trial conference will take place on Aug 13.
Etomidate is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act. It has clinical use as an anaesthetic, permitted only in clinical settings and under strict conditions.
Experts told The Straits Times that etomidate has been known to cause a type of muscle spasm called myoclonus, which patients may describe as tremors.
Symptoms of etomidate overdose include unsteadiness, sluggishness and mental confusion.
On July 30, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam announced that officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be seconded to beef up enforcement efforts by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) against etomidate-related offences.
MHA is expected to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in the coming weeks as an interim measure, as the Ministry of Health continues to study further legislative action against Kpod offenders.
If etomidate is listed as a Class C drug, users can be subjected to supervision and mandatory participation in a rehabilitation programme or committed to drug rehabilitation centres, similar to what drug abusers undergo.
Those who reoffend or commit other serious offences can also be jailed for at least a year.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
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