Teen Trafficked 124 Drug-Laced Kpods and Kicked an 84-Year-Old Woman—Then the Court Made Its Move
SINGAPORE — A teenager involved in the trafficking of 124 etomidate-laced Kpods, an illicit money-withdrawal scheme and an assault on an 84-year-old wheelchair user has been sentenced to at least 12 months of reformative training.
The youth, who cannot be identified because he was under 18 when some of the offences were committed, pleaded guilty to seven charges, including trafficking etomidate and transferring benefits from criminal conduct. Another 17 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The case highlights several growing concerns in Singapore—from the spread of drug-laced vapes among young people to the use of social-media platforms to recruit individuals into criminal schemes.
124 Kpods discovered at Woodlands Checkpoint
The teenager's involvement in Kpods came to light on Oct. 16, 2025, when he drove into Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint.
According to court documents, he had bought a so-called "ghost car" through Telegram for S$2,500 despite never having held a valid driving licence.
During a vehicle inspection, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers discovered 124 vaporiser pods containing liquid, along with other vaping products. The Health Sciences Authority subsequently seized the items.
Laboratory tests found that all 124 pods contained etomidate, an anaesthetic that Singapore classifies as a Class C controlled drug.
The teenager intended to sell the pods for S$75 each, giving them an estimated street value of about S$9,300. He also tested positive for etomidate after admitting that he had used Kpods purchased through Telegram.
He was also recruited into a money-laundering operation
The case did not stop with drug trafficking.
In April 2025, the teenager reportedly encountered an individual using the Telegram name "John Wick", who offered him work as a cash runner for an overseas money-laundering operation.
The teenager was promised commissions of as much as S$2,000 for every S$100,000 withdrawn.
He subsequently worked with another youth to withdraw money from compromised bank accounts using an NFC-enabled digital-wallet application.
Between April 3 and 4, the teenager withdrew a total of S$19,000 from six UOB accounts without the account holders' consent, according to court documents.
He received approximately S$750 for his role and paid S$250 to his friend, who acted as a lookout.
The case is another illustration of how criminals can exploit messaging platforms to recruit young people into seemingly easy-money schemes.
84-year-old wheelchair user was also attacked
One of the most disturbing incidents occurred on May 7, 2025.
The teenager approached an 84-year-old woman in a wheelchair and her 60-year-old daughter while they were on their way to a bus.
He asked them to take him home.
When the daughter refused, the teenager became angry. He punched a metal bollard before kicking the woman's wheelchair and striking her left shoulder and head.
The elderly woman suffered contusions to her shoulder, neck and face.
Why the court chose reformative training
The prosecution argued that probation was no longer an appropriate option because of the seriousness and number of offences.
The teenager's offences were committed over a period from Feb. 28 to Oct. 16, 2025, with several occurring while he was on bail.
He had also previously breached a probation order and was subsequently detained at the Singapore Boys' Home. According to prosecutors, he reoffended less than a year after his release.
District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam found the teenager suitable for reformative training and said he required targeted intervention. He was assessed as physically and mentally fit for the programme.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 12 months' reformative training and will begin the sentence on Sept. 22, 2026.
He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining any driving licence for two years after his release.
Singapore's Kpod problem continues to grow
The case comes amid intensified action against drug-laced vapes in Singapore.
Kpods have become associated with vaporisers containing substances such as etomidate, and authorities have been increasingly concerned about their availability through online channels.
The Straits Times previously reported that authorities had been monitoring the use of Kpods containing etomidate and, in some cases, ketamine.
The issue has since escalated beyond individual users. In June 2026, the Health Sciences Authority announced the arrest of four Singaporeans linked to what it described as a suspected transnational etomidate vaporiser-pod supply syndicate. Authorities seized more than 1,000 Kpods in one of the raids.
Another case reported by The Straits Times involved a man charged in January 2026 over the alleged importation of 1,989 etomidate-laced Kpods, illustrating the scale at which the illicit market can operate.
The bigger warning behind the case
What makes the teenager's case particularly striking is the combination of offences.
It involved drug trafficking, illicit financial activity, violence against an elderly person and unlicensed driving, with prosecutors saying the offences demonstrated a serious pattern of offending.
The case also illustrates how platforms such as Telegram can feature at multiple stages of an illicit economy—from the sale of drug-laced vapes to recruitment into cash-withdrawal schemes.
For trafficking a Class C controlled drug such as etomidate, Singapore law provides for two to 10 years' imprisonment and two to five strokes of the cane. The court also noted that transferring benefits from criminal conduct can carry a fine of up to S$500,000, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.
The teenager's case is therefore more than a story about Kpods. It is a warning about how quickly online recruitment, illicit drugs and financial crime can intersect—and how authorities are increasingly responding when young offenders become involved.
WWC ONE MEDIA M.J.E