Jail for woman who drove without licence, had more than 90 Kpods in car

SINGAPORE – A car accident in Sentosa led to the discovery of 91 Kpods, or etomidate-laced vapes, in the vehicle, and the drugs were found to be for the driver’s own consumption.

Law Jia Yi was sentenced to 15 months and 25 weeks’ jail on Jan 6 after pleading guilty to seven charges for various offences, including driving without a valid licence, driving without due care and attention, methamphetamine consumption, and possession of Kpods for sale.

She was also disqualified from driving and holding a licence for 30 months.

Law was driving along Siloso Road at about 8pm on Oct 22, 2024, when she was distracted by her phone. She lost control of the car, and it skidded and crashed into a railing on the road in the opposite lane.

The 23-year-old, who did not have a driving licence, rented the car from a person named “Jun Xiong” on Carousell on Oct 19, 2024.

When police officers searched the vehicle after the accident, they found a foldable knife and 98 vape pods inside. Tests conducted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) showed that 91 of the 98 pods contained etomidate.

Law admitted that she purchased 100 pods on Oct 19, 2024, from an unknown person on Telegram for $750 and said they were for her personal consumption.

The court heard that she was previously arrested on Aug 9, 2024, for a similar offence.

At about 5.15pm that day, police officers attended to a fight inside a car at the open carpark near Yishun Avenue 5.

“Upon arriving at the scene and engaging the accused, officers found the accused in possession of 55 vape pods, one vaporiser with pod and three vaporisers without pods in her vehicle,” said HSA prosecutor Donn Praabu Dennis.

Laboratory analysis results revealed that 49 of the 55 pods contained etomidate.

Law admitted to purchasing the pods in early August 2024 via Telegram, saying the pods cost between $65 and $70 each.

She said she kept the pods in the car as her father prohibited them at home. She also maintained that the pods were for personal consumption, adding that she would sell them to friends only upon request for $10 more than the cost price.

On the same day, Law provided two urine samples, which were found to contain methamphetamine.

In January 2025, she was again caught for driving without a licence and for drug consumption.

Court documents stated that Law took the keys to her boyfriend’s company car without his knowledge and drove it to the Marina Bay Sands carpark.

At about 8.35pm, Law got into a dispute with her boyfriend inside their hotel room. Undisclosed items were broken during the kerfuffle, prompting hotel staff to call the police.

She then tried to leave with the car but was stopped by the hotel’s security officers.

Police officers who arrived at the scene later found drugs on Law, and her urine subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine.

Regarding Law’s vape-related charges, the HSA prosecutor told the court that she has shown a pattern of escalating reoffending, citing the increase in the number of Kpods she was found with. He said Law became dependent on vapes after quitting cigarettes.

He also noted her “bulk-buying strategy” and “commercial awareness”, as demonstrated by how she occasionally sold Kpods to her friends for above the cost price.

When asked if she had anything to say in mitigation, Law shook her head.

Since Sept 1, the Government has introduced a

slew of tougher measures

against etomidate-related offences. For the possession of Kpods for sale, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

For methamphetamine consumption, an offender can be jailed for between one and 10 years, fined up to $20,000, or both.

Offenders caught driving without due care and attention can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

Those caught driving without a valid licence can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.