SINGAPORE – A man will be spending time behind bars for being part of a Kpod-linked drug operation that generated $28,300 in proceeds over just 16 days between Sept 10 and 25, 2025.
Tan Jia Wei, whose offences involved the distribution of etomidate-laced vape pods, managed an account on a messaging platform to receive orders from customers.
He had also coordinated packing instructions, collected drug proceeds and recruited another man to serve as a packer within his network in the operation.
The 30-year-old was sentenced to four years and five months’ jail and three strokes of the cane on Oct 13.
He had pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy for another man to possess at least 461 vape cartridges for trafficking.
He also admitted to one count each of etomidate consumption and acquiring benefits of drug dealing totalling $28,300.
Court documents stated that Tan Jia Wei had operated a Kpod distribution network with two others, known only as HH and Eddison.
He also used a Telegram account to manage and coordinate the operation.
In September 2025, he roped in a 29-year-old man called Tan Ming Kuan to work as a packer.
Tan Ming Kuan was also added to a Telegram group administered by Tan Jia Wei, HH and Eddison.
The prosecution said that Tan Ming Kuan took instructions from the administrators to pack the Kpods and vape devices into separate packages, photograph the packed orders and send the pictures to the group.
He then left the packages at various secluded locations, where an unnamed driver from the group would collect them later.
Tan Jia Wei also used Telegram to communicate with customers, forward orders to Tan Ming Kuan and coordinate the operation.
Customers paid for their Kpod orders via bank transfers to Tan Ming Kuan’s bank account.
At the end of each day, he retained $5 per order as his earnings and withdrew the remaining amount to pass to Tan Jia Wei, who earned up to $200 for each batch of cash collected.
Each Kpod was sold to customers for $60 to $70.
The prosecution said that a total of $28,300 was handed over by Tan Ming Kuan to Tan Jia Wei between Sept 10 and 25, 2025.
The amount represented the proceeds from Kpod sales.
Court documents did not disclose how the offences came to light, but at around 6.20am on Sept 25, 2025, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) went to Tan Ming Kuan’s home and arrested him.
They also seized multiple etomidate-laced vape pods and $3,500 in cash.
CNB officers went to Tan Jia Wei’s home at around 4.40pm that day and arrested him.
His urine samples were later found to contain traces of etomidate, as he had earlier smoked Kpods containing the substance.
He was granted bail of $30,000 on Oct 13 and is expected to begin serving his sentence on Nov 10.
