A 27-year-old man was caught while trying to deliver illegal vape pods in Bishan. He tried to escape in his car but was stopped by enforcement officers who had set a trap for him.
According to Shin Min Daily News, reporters from The Straits Times pretended to be buyers and contacted four sellers on Telegram. These sellers were offering e-cigarettes and vape pods containing etonitazene, a strong illegal drug also known as “zombie vape pods.”
One of the sellers replied within minutes. He said two zombie vape pods would cost $140, including delivery. He then arranged to meet the “buyer” around Bishan Street 13 and said a delivery driver would show up.
At about 3.45pm on 10 July, a grey car arrived at the meeting point. An officer from the Health Sciences Authority, posing as a buyer, went up to the car. When he revealed his identity, the delivery driver panicked and tried to drive off.
But officers quickly surrounded the car. One officer opened the front passenger door and jumped inside to stop the driver. The car was forced to stop about 50 metres away, and the man was arrested on the spot.
Inside the car, officers found white envelopes with recipient details, each containing zombie vape pods. They also found folders labelled with names like “Zombie” and “USDT,” which were different types of these illegal vape pods.
In total, the officers found 28 e-cigarettes and 814 vape pods in the car. Most of them were zombie vape pods. The 27-year-old man claimed he was just a delivery driver. Officers later searched his nearby home and found more vapes and accessories in his bedroom.
