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TWO young men from Johor Bahru, both in their early twenties, say desperation drove them to accept RM1,000 (S$305) from an acquaintance for what they believed was a simple one-day job delivering boxes of "betel leaves" to Singapore in a rented car.
The job quickly unravelled. Though the first run at midnight was successful, their second attempt just hours later ended at Woodlands Checkpoint, where officers from Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) discovered more than 300 packs of vapes and related paraphernalia hidden in the boxes.
The men – Haz and Amin (not their real names) – claim they were unaware of the true contents of their cargo.
What was meant to be a quick job has since turned into a prolonged ordeal. Their passports remain confiscated during ongoing investigations in Singapore, and both men are currently out on bail. For fear of reprisals, they requested their real identities be withheld but showed The Straits Times (ST) documents confirming their arrest.
Their case underscores the increasing brazenness of vape syndicates operating out of Johor, where smuggling methods include concealing goods in trailers, vans, motorcycles and private cars. ICA data reveals that in June and July alone, more than 15,000 vape-related items were seized at land checkpoints.
ST cited among the larger busts include that on 27 June and 8 July, two separate seizures at Woodlands Checkpoint yielded more than 7,400 vape products, on 24 July, officers at the same checkpoint found over 5,900 vapes in a car and five days later, at Tuas Checkpoint, 2,400 more units were discovered hidden in a lorry.
Malaysian authorities have also intervened. On 6 August, 7,680 vape pods were seized from a lorry at the export lane of the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex, en route to Tuas.
Despite Johor being the first Malaysian state to ban vape sales in 2016, the products remain widely available in Johor Bahru. At present, six states – Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang – prohibit the sale of vapes.
ST spoke to vape sellers in Johor Bahru who confirmed a steady clientele from Singapore. Some Singapore-based syndicates reportedly place bulk orders from across Malaysia and store the products in Johor Bahru, arranging their own cross-border smuggling via rented storage units and hired couriers.
While openly sold vapes are easily found in the city, more illicit products – such as drug-laced Kpods, also known as “mushroom” vapes – are traded discreetly via online platforms.
Several sellers on a Telegram channel for Kpod distributors in Johor Bahru were seen offering Kpods and bottles of etomidate, even sharing product photos with prospective buyers.
With vapes selling for up to three times their Malaysian price in Singapore, smugglers often pay couriers between RM1,000 and RM5,000 per trip.
The Singapore Accident Help Centre, a Johor Bahru-based NGO, reported a surge in young men like Haz and Amin being recruited as couriers.
Farizatul Firdaus, a social worker with the organisation, said there were 77 smuggling cases involving vapes and cigarettes between October 2024 and July 2025.
“They (the syndicates) target young men, often those without jobs, and lure them with quick cash to do deliveries they claim are of harmless items,” said Farizatul. - September 15, 2025
