Press Releases
HSA Charges Man in Largest Haul of Almost 2,000 Etomidate E-vaporiser Pods Since 1 September 2025
Audiences
Healthcare professional
Industry member
Product type
Tobacco control
22 January 2026
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The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has charged a 30-year-old man, Muhamad Khairuddin Bin Abdullah, in court on 22 January 2026 for the alleged trafficking of almost 2,000 etomidate e-vaporiser pods. This is the largest haul of etomidate e-vaporiser pods seized in an operation to date by HSA since etomidate was classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act on 1 September 2025.
On the night of 20 January 2026, the accused was detained by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) while entering Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint in a rental car with his 63-year-old mother and four-month-old niece. ICA officers discovered 1,989 e-vaporiser pods concealed in two boxes in the car boot. HSA was alerted and conducted a raid at the accused’s residence on the same day which yielded three regular e-vaporiser pods. Laboratory testing confirmed that the pods seized at the checkpoint contained etomidate, and investigations are ongoing.
The case has been adjourned to 5 March 2026.
HSA takes a serious view of e-vaporiser and etomidate trafficking offences. Since the enhanced penalties framework took effect on 1 September 2025, importers, sellers and distributors of etomidate e-vaporisers now face stiffer penalties. These include 3 to 20 years’ imprisonment and 5 to 15 strokes of the cane for importers, and 2 to 10 years’ imprisonment and 2 to 5 strokes of the cane for sellers and distributors.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
22 JANUARY 2026