Singapore Man Arrested for Illegal E-Cigarette Operation Worth $240M

According to a report by CNA on October 8, recently, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in Singapore seized illegal e-cigarette products worth $3.1 million Singapore dollars (approximately $2.4 million USD).

A man in Singapore was found to be packaging illegal e-cigarettes and accessories while serving his national service. The man was working at a warehouse where over 130,000 sets of e-cigarettes and 60,000 pods were stored, with a total value of 3.1 million Singapore dollars (approximately 2.4 million US dollars). This is reportedly the largest seizure of e-cigarette products in Singapore to date.

The man admitted to two charges in court on Monday, October 7, including possessing counterfeit tobacco products and e-cigarettes for sale under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.

In December 2022, the man started working at a warehouse in Mandai. He was instructed to follow procedures by receiving orders through a Telegram account on a warehouse laptop. He was responsible for packing items according to the orders and sometimes helped print order details on package labels. Once each order was packed, he would hand it over to a driver who would then distribute the packages to couriers, who would deliver the packages to customers. Couriers typically collected payment in cash and would then give it to the driver.

In January 2023, the man's salary was 3000 Singapore dollars (2300 US dollars), paid in cash. It is reported that one of his paychecks was received from Malaysia.

On the evening of March 28, 2023, police arrested six individuals in a multi-storey car park at Montreal Link for possession of e-cigarettes and other products traced back to a warehouse in Mandai. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) deployed an enforcement team and raided the warehouse the following day, seizing counterfeit tobacco products and related accessories. The man who arrived at the warehouse to "work" that day was arrested, along with five others.

The total market value of the seized items was 3,121,328 Singapore dollars (approximately 2.4 million US dollars). Tests showed that these devices were used to communicate with customers through Telegram and WhatsApp, including discussing purchase prices, payment methods, and order dates.

Further investigation by authorities revealed that the client's payments were transferred to Malaysia, where they were used to pay local suppliers.

The defense lawyer is seeking probation for the man, emphasizing his young age at the time of the incident, expressing deep remorse for his actions, and highlighting his achievements in national service and boxing competitions. Tan is currently serving as a Special Operations Command officer in the Singapore Police Force and has an "excellent service record." He also won the national championship of the Singapore Boxing Federation in January 2024.

The court will deliver its verdict on November 5th.