Latest news with #Erimin-5
Singapore Law Watch
3 days ago
- Singapore Law Watch
1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung
1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Source: Straits Times Article Date: 21 Jul 2025 Author: David Sun Listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act means those who abuse or traffic vapes with etomidate may soon be treated the same way as those found with drugs like Erimin-5. The authorities are working to list etomidate, which is being abused via e-vaporisers, under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20. This paves the way for abusers and traffickers of Kpods – vapes containing etomidate – to be treated in the same way as those who abuse or traffic drugs like nimetazepam, also known as Erimin-5, with mandatory rehabilitation and jail time for repeat offenders. Currently, etomidate is listed under the Poisons Act. Under this law, abusers face only a fine. Sellers face possible jail time of up to two years. But with the growing trend of vapes containing the drug, Mr Ong said it was now necessary to take stronger action. This will be done in the coming weeks, and is an interim measure till further changes can be made to the law to tackle the vaping scourge here, he added. The Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to do this. The move comes after one in three vapes recently seized here was found to contain etomidate. Speaking on the sidelines of the opening of a dog run in Sembawang on July 20, Mr Ong said a third of more than 100 vapes seized during enforcement operations and tested at random were found to contain the substance. He said that previously, a vape would be used mainly for the delivery of nicotine. 'But today, it is a delivery device for a range of substances, from nicotine to psychoactive substances such as etomidate, to hardcore drugs that are illegal under the MDA as well,' he said. 'When that is the situation, it requires a whole-of-government effort to enforce against this.' Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision and was never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs. When vaped, it can trigger spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and psychosis. Mr Ong confirmed that several deaths here have been linked to abuse of the substance. He said: 'We have seen some deaths – traffic accidents, as well as unnatural deaths – where etomidate was implicated and investigations are ongoing. 'I think there is strong suspicion that it is already causing deaths in Singapore, so it is a serious problem.' Listing etomidate under the MDA will mean abusers will be subject to supervision, and may be committed to a drug rehabilitation centre, he said. Mr Ong urged those who are using Kpods to stop immediately. He said: 'I urge those who are consuming etomidate-laced vapes to give it up now, before the law catches up to you. It is very harmful, and the time to give up is now.' He added that a big challenge in dealing with vapes is the attitude towards them, with vapes having been successfully marketed by vape makers to young people as harmless and trendy. 'It's actually unconscionable,' he said. 'We are up against a mindset that might have set in among some young people, and we now need to counter that.' In a separate update on July 20, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it will be extending the hours for its reporting hotline. Previously, HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch could be reached only from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays. But the hotline service to report vaping-related offences will be expanded to operate seven days a week, with extended hours from 9am to 9pm, HSA said. ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13. Mr Ong said of the initiative at the July 20 event: 'The Straits Times is on a useful campaign, in my view, to raise awareness of the harmfulness of etomidate and also to urge agencies to step up actions. Many members of the public have done likewise.' When ST launched the campaign, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the vape scourge. Kpods have reportedly been pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups, with the local authorities now intensifying crackdowns. Public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all Kpod cases. Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
The Sun
15-07-2025
- The Sun
Drug trafficking syndicates busted in Johor, Penang
JOHOR BAHRU: Police have crippled two drug trafficking syndicates operating in Johor and Penang, arresting five individuals and seizing various narcotics worth over RM3.6 million. According to a Bernama report, Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said three suspects, a local man and two Vietnamese women, aged between 32 and 39, were detained in a series of special operations carried out by the Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and South Johor Bahru district police on Thursday and Friday. He said the syndicate, believed to be active since April last year, used gated and guarded residences to store and process drugs for distribution to the local market. The investigation began with the arrest of a local man by the roadside, which led police to a rented room in a shophouse in Johor Bahru. The suspect later led police to three luxury condominium units also rented by him, where more drugs were found and the two foreign women were arrested. 'Police seized 20.7kg of powder suspected to be ecstasy, 18.49kg of ganja, 154.25g of ketamine and 141g of Erimin-5 pills. We also confiscated various drug processing and repackaging equipment, as well as RM800 cash.' He added that trafficking trends suggest a shift towards ganja flowers. 'This may be because ganja flowers have a higher hallucinogenic effect due to their purity, besides being more expensive, with an estimated market value of RM36,000 per kilogramme.' All suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and are on remand until Thursday. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. In Penang, police arrested a 25-year-old local man and a 20-year-old foreign woman during a raid in the Pulau Tikus and Tanjong Tokong areas on Thursday. Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the raid, conducted by the district's Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division at 9.30pm, led to the seizure of 15 compressed packets of dried leaves believed to be ganja. 'The drugs are estimated to weigh 8.2kg and are worth RM25,420. They are sufficient for about 16,400 doses,' he said in a statement. He added that the value of the drugs and other confiscated items was estimated at RM46,890.50. 'Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate had been active since early this year and was targeting the local market,' he said. Preliminary urine tests showed that the male suspect tested positive for benzodiazepines. He also has four criminal records. The female suspect tested negative and has no prior record. Both have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction. Abdul Rozak said police would continue intensifying operations against drug syndicates. 'We plan to strengthen cooperation with other agencies through information sharing and a holistic approach to address drug distribution.' Those with information on drug activities are urged to contact the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department at 012-208 7222.
Online Citizen
10-07-2025
- Online Citizen
Singaporean fugitive charged with abetting drug trafficking after Bangkok arrest
A Singaporean man wanted by local authorities has been charged with abetting drug trafficking, following his arrest in Thailand. Tan Leng Chong, 50, appeared in a Singapore district court on 10 July 2025. He had been handed over to Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) by Thai authorities the day before. Tan was apprehended on 5 July 2025 during a raid by Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) at a hotel in Bangkok. The operation came after an extensive investigation and cross-border cooperation. According to the charge sheet, Tan is accused of conspiring with N M Mahendran to traffic cannabis mixture outside Singapore sometime before July 2024. Cannabis is classified as a Class A Controlled Drug under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act. Mahendran allegedly possessed five blocks of vegetable matter containing no less than 4,990.6g of cannabis mixture for trafficking. The incident reportedly took place around 29 July 2024 at Equatorial Apartments, located at 48 Meyer Road. Tan, wearing a white polo tee, appeared in court via video-link for a brief hearing. He did not speak much during the proceedings. The prosecution requested that he remain in remand, with permission for officers to take him out for further investigations. 'Custody is required to trace the source of drugs in the capital charge,' the prosecutor told the court. Tan acknowledged the proceedings and confirmed that he understood the charges. He is scheduled to return to court on 17 July 2025. If found guilty of abetting drug trafficking, Tan could face the death penalty under Singapore law. In a statement issued on Wednesday, CNB said it discovered Tan's suspected role while probing a related drug trafficking case in July 2024. That investigation involved another Singaporean, aged 64, who was charged with trafficking about 4.99kg of cannabis mixture. During its probe, CNB found that Tan had left Singapore in July 2023. Authorities subsequently reached out to international counterparts, leading to an arrest warrant and his eventual apprehension in Thailand. CNB revealed it has also begun investigating Tan for alleged money laundering offences. Accounts believed to be linked to Tan have been frozen, holding more than S$242,000. Thailand's ONCB stated via Facebook on Tuesday that Tan was arrested for allegedly trafficking drugs from Thailand into Singapore. According to Phanurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the ONCB, Tan was found hiding in Pattaya, Chonburi province, as reported by Bangkok Post. Thai government news outlet NBT Connext reported that Tan had used Thailand both as a hiding place and an operational base for drug trafficking. ONCB said Tan was seen in Bangkok meeting two Indonesian nationals at a hotel. These individuals were believed to be involved in the drug smuggling operations. Thai police raided the hotel room and arrested all three men. Authorities seized illegal substances including ecstasy, ketamine, and Erimin-5, a prescription-only depressant derivative from the benzodiazepine group. Tan remains in remand as investigations continue. He will appear in court again on 17 July 2025.
The Star
03-07-2025
- The Star
Online drug-pushing racket busted in Johor
Successful operation: Comm Kumar showing the drugs that were processed and repackaged into sachets, during a press conference at the Johor police headquarters. JOHOR BARU: Place your order using WeChat, pay for it online and pick up the stash beside drains or dumpsters. This was the modus operandi of a syndicate that was busted here for selling illicit drugs after operating under the radar since January, said Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar. He said five syndicate members, including the group's mastermind, were arrested in three separate raids in the city on June 19. 'The three Malaysian men and two Vietnamese women, aged 29 to 46, operated from two gated and guarded apartments, as well as a rented room in a terrace house. 'They used the rented units to process and repackage the drugs into sachets, which were sold via WeChat for RM100 to RM200 each, depending on the variety,' he said at a press conference at the state police headquarters here yesterday. He said the syndicate promoted the drugs through the messaging platform and after payment was made, the sachets were dropped off at inconspicuous locations. 'The buyer would then be notified to pick up the order. All transactions were done online, so the buyer and seller never met face to face,' he added. Police seized 16,865g of ecstasy powder, 104g of ketamine, 1,950 Erimin-5 pills, 1,250 ecstasy pills and 35 yaba pills with a street value of over RM2.9mil along with the arrests. Police also confiscated five cars, drug-processing equipment, RM9,100 in cash and some jewellery during the raids. The suspects have been remanded until today for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries a death sentence or life imprisonment and whipping, if convicted. The two Vietnamese women are also being investigated under the Immigration Act for not possessing valid travel documents. Comm Kumar said police have arrested 12,835 people in Johor for various drug-related offences as of June 30. During the same period, police seized a total of 1.08 tonnes and 5,816.5 litres of drugs valued at RM106.9mil collectively. He added that public cooperation had contributed significantly to the arrests and urged the people to continue providing information to help combat illegal activities.
The Star
07-06-2025
- The Star
Selangor cops take down ‘Alstonia Gang'
Massive haul: Comm Hussein (centre) and his officers showing drugs and other confiscated items during a press conference on the 'Alstonia Gang' bust at the Selangor police headquarters. — Bernama SHAH ALAM: Police busted a drug trafficking syndicate known as the Alstonia Gang after arresting nine suspects and seizing various types of drugs worth RM5.11mil in five separate raids around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor this week. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said among those arrested were the gang leader, a local man working as an e-hailing driver and his foreign lover, who are believed to have been actively carrying out drug trafficking activities for the past eight months. In the first raid on a house in Bukit Jalil at about 5.50pm on Tuesday, police nabbed a man and a foreign woman, and seized 4,656g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy powder and three litres of juice suspected of containing drugs. 'The second raid was conducted on a house in Semenyih and led to the arrest of a man and the seizure of powdery substances believed to be MDMA weighing 230g, followed by a third raid at 6.10pm in Puchong where a male suspect was held and 966.10g of MDMA seized. 'At 10.30pm, we conducted raid number four on a house in Kajang. 'We arrested a man and seized 110 vape cartridges suspected of containing 2,880g of drugs,' Comm Hussein told Bernama at a media conference here yesterday. He added that the suspect then led police to a house in Kajang, where they seized MDMA powder weighing 21,452g, ketamine (4,722g), MDMA pills (641g) and Erimin-5 pills (1,960g). Following interrogation, police then arrested three men and a woman believed to be involved with the syndicate around Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. 'In addition to the syndicate leader and his lover, who has lived in the country for the past 10 years, seven other suspects, all aged between 24 and 38, worked as food traders, personal shoppers and barbers. 'Six of them tested positive for drugs and three tested negative, while three had previous records related to crime and drugs.' Comm Hussein said the syndicate targeted entertainment centres around the Klang Valley to sell to individuals. He added that police also seized five vehicles along with jewellery, watches, luxury handbags and cash, with the total seizure amounting to RM341,449.16. 'This success is a result of the intelligence we carried out for two months. All suspects have been remanded for seven days, with the case being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.'
