Overview

• Singaporean Tian Jiacheng, 26, was charged on Sept 12 with two Misuse of Drugs Act counts for allegedly trafficking Kpods containing etomidate.
• Prosecutors said he sold a packet of five pods to one buyer and handed two packets to another for delivery; bail was set at S$20,000 and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for Oct 13, with further charges possible.
• His arrest stemmed from CNB’s Sept 10 operation across Telok Blangah, Hougang and Boon Lay that netted eight suspects and more than 400 pods, including 327 found in a Telok Blangah unit, plus S$20,818 and other cash.
• CNB deployed its Special Task Force for high-risk arrests, with officers conducting a void-deck takedown, a house search and a vehicle pursuit after some suspects resisted.
• The actions follow etomidate’s Sept 1 listing as a Class C drug, enabling prosecutions with potential jail terms and caning for traffickers and expanded frontline enforcement alongside rehabilitation; separate nightlife checks from Aug 29 to Sept 6 caught 26 people and seized over 30 devices.