For a reward of only $305, two young Malaysian men agreed to deliver goods, thinking they were just transporting betel leaves.
But when they were stopped at the checkpoint, they got the shock of their lives. The boxes they were transporting actually contained 300 packs of e-cigarettes and related products.
The two men, both in their 20s from Johor Bahru, are known only as Haz and Amin (not their real names). They told The Straits Times that the “job” was introduced by an acquaintance, Phil (alias), reported Shin Min Daily News.
According to them, Phil said that if they delivered betel leaves into Singapore, they would get $305 (1,000 ringgit) as payment.
They only met Phil on the day of the delivery. Past midnight, they entered Singapore and drove about 20 minutes from Woodlands to an industrial building carpark. There, they were told to pass the parcels to an unmarked lorry. A few hours later, they drove back to Johor Bahru.
They shared that Phil gave all the instructions through WhatsApp, directing them remotely from Johor Bahru. They only knew the delivery location after they had already entered Singapore.
Haz said that when they returned around 5 am, they were told they would only receive half the money unless they made another delivery. Amin recalled,
“I felt something was off and wanted to quit. But in the end, we still agreed because Phil said he had already paid for the rental car and had promised his bosses that the job would be completed.”
At about noon that same day, they met an older man at a petrol station near the Woodlands checkpoint in Johor Bahru. That man loaded four unmarked cartons into their boot and told them not to help with the loading.
The two later got stuck in heavy traffic and finally reached the Woodlands checkpoint. There, they were stopped by authorities. After inspection, officers discovered that the cartons contained not betel leaves, but over 300 packs of e-cigarettes and related items.
The pair claimed they had no idea what they were really carrying. “We tried to contact Phil, but could not reach him at all. That was when we realised we were in big trouble,” they said.
Haz added that he only received $30 (100 ringgit) from the “job.”
“I really regret it. For such a small amount of money, it was not worth it at all.”
Both men are now out on bail, but their passports have been seized by Singapore authorities while investigations are ongoing. Fearing retaliation, they did not want to reveal their real names.
15,000 e-cigarettes seized at checkpoints in one month
According to The Straits Times, between June and July alone, authorities seized more than 15,000 e-cigarettes and related components at the checkpoints.
Even though Johor banned the sale of e-cigarettes as far back as 2016, the products are still openly sold in Johor Bahru.
On top of that, buyers from across Malaysia reportedly place bulk orders of e-cigarettes and e-liquids, then send them to Johor Bahru. These buyers are believed to be working for illegal syndicates in Singapore. They rent warehouses in Johor Bahru and arrange for the goods to be smuggled across the border.
Since e-cigarettes in Singapore sell for three times the price compared to Malaysia, smugglers are willing to pay runners between 1,000 and 5,000 ringgit per trip to carry the goods across.
