Jalan Besar transaction mystery baffles tourist

“It could have been anything,” he said.

Nevertheless, the encounter surprised them, given Singapore’s reputation for strict laws.

“It was surprising to see that in Singapore, a country that has a lot of rules and fines for those who break them,” said Ryan. “It was completely the opposite of our impression of Singapore.”

However, the incident did not dampen their enjoyment of the trip.

“We had a really good time, more than we expected, actually. And no, we didn’t see anything else after that,” he added.

Netizens debate the incident and Singapore laws

Netizens offered various theories about the transaction, with the most popular suggestion being that the woman had bought contraband cigarettes.

“The lady bought smuggled cigarettes,” one claimed, adding that they cost about 60 per cent less than duty-paid cigarettes sold in shops.

Others suggested that the bag could have contained vapes, which are banned in Singapore, or even drugs.

Several speculated that it could have been Hans Chaap, a type of smokeless chewing tobacco from India that is prohibited in Singapore.

Some offered less serious suggestions, joking that the woman was buying chewing gum.

“Chewing game smugglers…lol,” one said in jest.

Just enjoy your travels: Netizens

Not everyone appreciated the couple’s curiosity.

Several netizens pointed out that they were potentially getting the people in the video into trouble.

“Mind your own business and enjoy your travels. Not everything you see needs to become content,” one Instagram user commented.

“Stop snitching, mate,” another said.

“You were not under threat; there was no reason to show others in a bad light,” a third wrote.

Another asked: “Just do your stuff man. Are they bothering you?”

Ryan and Katie defended their decision to share the video.

“We literally just show what we see, had it not happened in front of us, we wouldn’t have shown it. We are travel vloggers, it’s what we do.”

Others came to their defence, arguing that they were simply discussing something they had witnessed.

“Whether they were bothering the vloggers personally isn’t the point. They simply documented something unusual that happened right in front of them while filming their travels,” one said.

“They didn’t manufacture the situation or claim to know the full story — they showed what they saw and people can draw their own conclusions.”

Another agreed: “People are acting like they went out looking for drama. They’re travel vloggers, and something unusual happened right in front of them while they were filming. Showing what they genuinely witnessed isn’t the same as deliberately trying to expose someone.”

Others thanked them for highlighting the incident.

“Why are people saying MYOB?” one Instagram user asked.

“Thank you for your video, we welcome all, except those who want to break the rules,” another wrote.

Stomp has reached out to the police for comment.

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