Member of syndicate that distributed vapes from Malaysia islandwide gets jail, fine

Tan delivered between 15 and 30 orders a day, earning between S$3,000 and S$4,000 a month for his role in the syndicate. He estimates earning about S$45,000 in total from his stint.

From mid-2022 to Oct 16, 2025, the local syndicate distributed vapes imported from Malaysia with local syndicate leaders taking instructions from a person known as “Nobody”.

“Nobody” was purportedly based in Malaysia.

Initially, the syndicate operated from a location in Mandai Road. It also rented a condominium unit in Canberra in February 2025 which functioned as a second warehouse after “Nobody” wanted to expand operations.

The syndicate subsequently relocated operations from Mandai to a warehouse in a terrace house in Lentor in April 2025.

The local syndicate leaders managed the warehouses and coordinated the deliveries of vapes and components from Malaysia as arranged by “Nobody”, the court heard.

Area distributors like Tan were responsible for delivering the packed orders and reporting any unsuccessful deliveries to the syndicate. They kept the cash payments and deducted their daily earnings before handing the rest to the local distributors. They earned S$10 per successful delivery.

The local distributors usually met the area distributors at an open-air car park next to Block 605, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 to hand over packed orders for delivery.

The authorities swept in on Oct 16, 2025, arresting Tan and others and seizing more than 57,000 vapes and related components from the warehouses.

The prosecution sought between 10 and 11 months’ jail for Tan, along with a fine of S$45,000, pointing to the “scourge of vaporisers” and the complex group operations.

They estimated that Tan would have delivered more than 10,000 vapes or components in his year of being part of the syndicate.

Tan’s lawyers, Mr Leong Kit Weng and Mr Sherman Ho from Shook Lin & Bok, sought six months’ jail, saying he was only a delivery man with virtually no control or power in the syndicate.

For being part of a syndicate, Tan could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.

For possessing imitation tobacco products for sale, an offender can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000.