Taiwanese man has work permit revoked, gets repatriated after being found with Kpod
He is among six foreign etomidate abusers who have been repatriated or are pending repatriation.
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SINGAPORE: A Taiwanese man who was found in possession of an e-vaporiser pod containing etomidate, or a Kpod, had his work permit revoked and was repatriated.
The 26-year-old was caught on Oct 21, 2025, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Thursday (Dec 18).
The man is among six foreign etomidate abusers who have been repatriated or are pending repatriation, according to the joint press release.
"Foreigners residing in Singapore are reminded to abide by the local laws and regulations, or they may have their work passes revoked and be barred from working in Singapore," said MOH and HSA.
REHAB DEFAULTERS
The authorities said that in the three months since the enhanced anti-vaping framework kicked in, they caught and fined 2,710 people for e-vaporiser related offences, with 257 of them in possession of e-vaporisers containing etomidate.
Of the 257 etomidate abusers, 162 have been placed on rehabilitation programmes at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and social service agencies. Investigations for 70 others are ongoing.
While most of these offenders have been compliant with the rehabilitation order, three defaulters have been charged in court for failing to attend their first rehabilitation appointments. They face potential jail terms of up to two years.
An additional defaulter is undergoing investigation. Four other defaulters, who are repeat offenders, failed to attend e-vaporiser rehabilitation sessions and are also being investigated, taking the total number of defaulters between Sep 1 and Nov 30 to eight.
Other anti-vape actions taken by MOH and HSA include:
- Between September and November 2025, HSA charged 10 people for the alleged trafficking of etomidate pods
- The authorities caught 46 people smuggling regular vapes at Singapore's land, air and sea checkpoints. Overall, more than 26,000 vapes and their related components were seized
- More than 3,200 cases of e-vaporiser activities were reported through HSA’s online reporting form and hotlines
- HSA removed more than 830 online e-vaporiser-related listings, offending websites and Telegram groups, and has taken action against 15 people who posted content of themselves vaping or possessing vapes on social media
In the past three months since the tougher laws kicked in, 72 people voluntarily enrolled in programmes to quit etomidate vaping, while 310 have signed up for the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme.
Under the enhanced anti-vaping framework that came into effect in September 2025, those found possessing, using or buying e-vaporisers now face higher penalties, and recalcitrant users will be required to undergo rehabilitation.
Those who do not complete the rehabilitation programme will be prosecuted. Offenders caught using e-vaporisers for the third time and more will be prosecuted in court and face a fine of up to S$2,000 (US$1,550).
Etomidate offences carry much stiffer penalties.
