Vape importer pleads guilty over attempts to retrieve S$6.6 million stash seized by HSA, other charges
The seized e-vaporisers and tobacco-related products were kept in custody at the warehouse the offender had rented because the quantity was so large that HSA officers were unable to transport all the stash to their headquarters.
Chua Wee Ming, a 35-year-old Malaysian, pleaded guilty to nine charges, including attempting to commit housebreaking twice and possessing items resembling tobacco products for sale. The charges stemmed from his efforts to retrieve a stash of illegal electronic vaporisers and tobacco-related products worth over S$6.6 million (US$5.2 million) that were seized by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in Singapore.
Chua rented a warehouse at 190 Woodlands Industrial Park E5 to store the seized items, which were too numerous for the HSA officers to transport back to their headquarters. Two other individuals, Chee Wai Yuen and Thanesh Murugan, were involved in the plot to break into the warehouse and retrieve the items. Chee initially refused to help but later agreed to conduct surveillance.
Murugan was arrested after attempting to break into the warehouse. Chua was arrested multiple times and sentenced to one year, one month, and six weeks in jail.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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