Singapore sentencing: 17,000+ vape pods seized; man convicted of multiple offences

Key points

• Sentenced to 3 months + 28 weeks’ jail and fined S$4,600 (≈ US$3,588) after pleading guilty to six charges

• February 2025: threatened his mother with a katana with a 30cm blade during a dispute over car instalment payments

• March 2021: authorities seized 1,153 vaporisers and 16,299 pods from his rented unit

• He admitted selling vapes since January 2021, claiming monthly earnings of S$5,000–S$8,000 (≈ US$3,900–US$6,240)

• March 2025: drove his mother’s car without permission while disqualified; stopped after a public report of erratic driving

2Firsts, Jan 23, 2026

According to The Straits Times, a 28-year-old man in Singapore, Soon Yong Chao, was sentenced on Jan 22 to three months and 28 weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$4,600 (about US$3,588) after pleading guilty to six charges. A further 11 charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Court documents state that on Feb 22, 2025, Soon argued with his 57-year-old mother after asking her to help pay his car instalment. When she refused and suggested he sell the car, he became angry, went back to his room, and later poured water from the second floor to the first floor of their home. After his mother told him to stop, he retrieved a katana with a 30cm blade from his bedroom, approached her, pointed the weapon at her and asked: “What you want now?” His parents made a police report that day and he was arrested.

On the vaping offences, the court heard that Soon began selling e-cigarettes in January 2021. On March 18, 2021, Health Sciences Authority officers received a tip-off from a warehouse operator about several boxes of e-cigarettes and related components awaiting collection. Two men later arrived to collect the boxes, which were intended for delivery to a unit rented by Soon. Officers carried out a controlled delivery and searched the unit, seizing 1,153 vaporisers and 16,299 vape pods. Soon admitted selling the items to earn money and told officers he made S$5,000 to S$8,000 a month (about US$3,900 to US$6,240).

The case also involved traffic offences. At about 2am on March 30, 2025, Soon took the spare keys to his mother’s car without permission. His driving licence had been suspended from March 25 to Sept 8, 2025. He drove to pick up a friend and later continued driving without a destination. At about 5.30am, a member of the public called police about a vehicle moving erratically near Tuas Checkpoint. Officers stopped Soon along Boon Lay Way towards Commonwealth Avenue West and arrested him.

In sentencing, the judge noted the offending spanned more than four years and described the number of vape pods found as “a staggering amount”.

Image source：The Straits Times