Two Persons Charged in First Importation Case Under Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act for Bringing Over $800,000 Worth of Etomidate Vaporiser Pods into Singapore

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) charged two Malaysian nationals, a 26-year-old male, Muhammad Izzat Emer Bin Mohd Hassan and a 24-year-old female, Nurain Binti Ismail, in court on 8 May 2026 for the alleged importation of etomidate vaporiser pods under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 (TVCA). This is the first importation case charged under the TVCA, and the largest haul of etomidate vaporiser pods illegally imported into Singapore to date.

2        On 6 May 2026, the two suspects were detained by officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) while entering Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint in a Malaysia-registered car. The ICA officers discovered 12,273 vaporiser pods concealed in 161 parcels hidden in the car, and alerted HSA, whose officers swiftly attended to the scene to take over investigations. The seized pods were suspected to contain etomidate and have an estimated street value exceeding $800,000. Investigations are ongoing. Please refer to the Annex for the photographs of the seized items.

3      The two suspects were remanded for a week to assist with further investigations. The case was mentioned again in court today, 15 May 2026, and has been adjourned to 26 June 2026.

4       HSA takes a serious view of vaporiser and etomidate trafficking offences. The TVCA came into force on 1 May 2026. Under TVCA, etomidate and its analogues are listed as Specified Psychoactive Substances (SPS) in the Schedule. Upon conviction, importers face a sentence of 3 to 20 years’ imprisonment and 5 to 15 strokes of the cane while suppliers face a sentence of 2 to 10 years’ imprisonment and 2 to 5 strokes of the cane. 

Published: 15 May 2026

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