Jail for Kpod user who went on the run, punched girlfriend and threatened others with knife
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On Feb 5, Muhammad Nursyahfiq Mazlan was sentenced to one year and 26 weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to seven offences, with eleven other offences taken into consideration.
PHOTO: ST FILE
- After his prison release, Muhammad Nursyahfiq Mazlan removed his ankle tag and committed multiple offences, including drug consumption and assault.
- He physically assaulted his girlfriend and also threatened her tenant and ex-boyfriend with a knife.
- He possessed vape pods containing dangerous substances like etomidate, leading to a jail sentence and highlighting the dangers of vaping.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Shortly after he was released from prison, Muhammad Nursyahfiq Mazlan cut off his electronic monitoring ankle tag and committed 16 other offences over the next few months.
These included possessing vape pods filled with the poisons etomidate, benzhexol and metomidate, punching his girlfriend, and pointing a knife at several victims.
On Feb 5, the 30-year-old was sentenced to one year and 26 weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to seven offences, with 11 other offences taken into consideration.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Ho and Mr Donn Praabu Dennis, acting assistant director of prosecution at the Health Sciences Authority, said Nursyahfiq had a “blatant disregard for the law”.
Court documents state that Nursyahfiq was placed on an employment preparation scheme on Sept 23, 2024, after he was released from prison. It was not mentioned what crimes he had committed to receive the jail sentence.
More than a month later, he cut off the ankle tag he had to wear for the authorities to monitor his whereabouts, and did not report to Selarang Park Community Supervision Centre as scheduled.
Violent streak
In December 2024, Nursyahfiq started a romantic relationship with a woman after meeting her on an online dating platform.
He told her he had absconded from the authorities and needed a place to stay. That same month, he moved into her home.
On March 7, 2025, when his girlfriend returned home at 5am after attending a gathering with her close friends, Nursyahfiq confronted her about meeting male friends at the gathering.
He became angrier when he looked through WhatsApp conversations she had with her tenant, though they had mainly talked about tenancy and upkeep matters, said DPP Ho.
Nursyahfiq punched his girlfriend in the face about three or four times, causing her to suffer a swollen left temple and bruised upper lips.
When the tenant returned home, Nursyahfiq accused him of having an affair with his girlfriend and pointed a knife at him. He also splashed water from a cup and spat water on the tenant’s face.
DPP Ho said Nursyahfiq was intoxicated after consuming drugs during this incident and another that happened three weeks later.
Nursyahfiq became aggressive again when his girlfriend and a male friend returned to her home. His girlfriend told her friend to leave and call the police.
Nursyahfiq threw the friend’s mobile phone out of the eighth-floor unit’s window and took out a baton, alarming his girlfriend.
When the police arrived, Nursyahfiq fled the scene.
On May 5, 2025, he impersonated his girlfriend and texted her former boyfriend, inviting him to her home.
When the former boyfriend came over, Nursyahfiq pointed a knife at him and ordered him to sit down.
Court documents do not state what happened immediately after, but say Nursyahfiq continued sending insulting and threatening messages to the former boyfriend over the next few days.
‘Strong response to prevent normalisation of etomidate’
When Nursyahfiq was finally arrested by the police on May 15, 2025, officers found he had a packet containing cannabis, a vape and 64 vape pods, among other items.
All 64 vape pods contained etomidate, while 13 contained benzhexol and three had metomidate.
Etomidate is an anaesthetic that has been used in vapes, known as Kpods. The drug is meant for use only during medical procedures. When vaped, it enters the user’s lungs directly, potentially triggering spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis.
Metomidate, chemically similar to etomidate, is listed as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, while benzhexol is a drug typically used to treat symptoms associated with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Nursyahfiq had started vaping in March 2025, and bought the vape pods for $30 each from a friend via Telegram. He claimed that all the pods were for his personal consumption.
Said DPP Ho: “The accused claimed during investigations that he was unaware that the pods contained prohibited substances, despite experiencing psychoactive effects such as headaches and dizziness after consuming them.”
The prosecutors said Nursyahfiq’s case represents a significant example of large-scale etomidate possession that Singapore’s enhanced anti-vaping enforcement framework
Unlike normal vapes, etomidate poses immediate and severe health dangers that require a jail sentence as a starting point, regardless of quantity, added the prosecutors.
“The rising trend of etomidate vaping cases necessitates strong judicial response to prevent normalisation of this dangerous practice, with a public health imperative to send a clear message that any involvement with etomidate vapes will result in a custodial sentence.”
