Man charged for manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home
Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim's case is believed to be the first of its kind in Singapore.
The Singaporean, 41, was handed five charges under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
On Dec 11, 2024, Akil was found with vapes and various related components in an HDB flat at Block 269B Yishun Street 22.
This included 569 pieces of empty pod casings, 534 pieces of pod components, 1,485 pieces of pod covers and 100 loose e-vaporiser pods, among other items, according to charge sheets.
The Straits Times understands Akil was manufacturing DIY Kpods at home with these items.
A Health Sciences Authority (HSA) prosecutor said in court that they were ready with a plea offer for him.
Akil, who attended court via video-link, said he understood his charges and wanted to plead guilty to all of them.
He said he did not want to hire a lawyer, adding: "I don't want to waste the court's time."
Akil had earlier been charged with two offences under the Poisons Act for possessing and selling etomidate, a classified poison increasingly detected in vapes.
After midnight on Dec 11, 2024, Akil allegedly sold 100 vape pods outside the same HDB flat.
These vape pods contained 150ml of liquid, which was analysed and found to contain etomidate, according to charge sheets.
Around 5.30am that day and at the same location, Akil was allegedly found with 26.4 grams of white powder which had etomidate.
Kpods are a growing cause for concern here.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on July 12 in a joint statement that vaping is a serious issue, noting that etomidate may cause adverse effects like seizures and psychosis.
Used in hospitals to induce sedation during medical procedures, etomidate is meant to be injected into the veins under clinical supervision and never intended to be inhaled.
When vaped, it enters the lungs directly and may trigger spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis.
The ministries said they were looking at tightening the laws around vaping after the increased detection of vapes containing etomidate and other controlled drugs.
ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13 to raise awareness about the issue in Singapore.
Members of the public have since spoken up about how Kpods have destroyed their family, harmed their children and even taken their loved ones' lives.
Akil faces one more charge under the Passports Act for making a false statement to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority while applying for a new Singapore passport.
He had allegedly lied on Jan 20 that he forgot his bag, which contained his NRIC and passport, at a coffeeshop, and that his passport was not returned to him.
Akil, who has been remanded since June 20, is slated to plead guilty on July 23.
To report vaping offences and the sale of vaping devices to the authorities, the public can contact HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays.
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