First Etomidate Vaporiser Pod Importer Sentenced to Three Years' Jail and Five Strokes of the Cane

Png Swee Sheng, 39, was sentenced today, 2 October 2026, to 3 years' imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane for importing etomidate vaporiser pods under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). Png is the first person to be convicted and sentenced for importing etomidate vaporiser pods under the MDA. Etomidate was a Class C controlled drug listed in the First Schedule of the MDA at the material time. The penalties for importation of etomidate under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 (TVCA) which came into effect on 1 May 2026 are similar and include a minimum 3 years’ imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane.

2       On 6 February 2026, Png entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint in a rental car and was stopped and referred for further checks by officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. ​Two packages labelled as laundry detergent powder that contained two vaporisers and 210 vaporiser pods were found in the boot of the car. Png was arrested and the case was referred to HSA. Png’s urine samples tested positive for etomidate, which he had consumed on or before 6 February 2026, prior to entering Singapore. Laboratory tests by HSA confirmed that 208 of the seized pods contained etomidate.