A 32-year-old Malaysian bus driver who agreed to smuggle e-cigarette paraphernalia into Singapore to supplement his income was sentenced to more than three months in jail after being caught at Woodlands Checkpoint.
Mahendran K.V.K. Samy was handed a sentence of three months and one week's imprisonment on Wednesday, January 7 after pleading guilty to a charge of importing components of an imitation tobacco product.
Court documents stated that Mahendran was employed as a bus driver with a Malaysian transport company, ferrying passengers between Malaysia and Singapore at the time of the offence.
Mahendran earned about RM2,500 (around S$790) a month, which he said was insufficient to support his family. About two weeks before his arrest, he received a call from an unknown individual who offered him RM2,000 in cash to deliver e-cigarette items into Singapore. Despite never having met the caller, Mahendran agreed to take on the job.
According to court records, Mahendran was contacted again on July 6, 2025, by the same individual, whom he referred to as "Abang".
He was instructed to leave his bus and its keys unattended at a designated roadside location in Johor Bahru after completing a passenger trip to Singapore. In the early hours of the following day, Mahendran followed the instructions and provided the bus registration number to facilitate identification.
Later that morning, Mahendran was informed that the goods had been loaded onto the bus and was directed to bring the items into Singapore on July 8. He was told that further delivery instructions would be given after he cleared customs.
At about 4.20 pm on July 8, officers at Woodlands Checkpoint directed Mahendran's bus for scanning after detecting irregularities.
Prosecutors said Mahendran appeared hesitant when asked to open the luggage compartment and initially claimed he did not have the key. Officers then noticed cardboard-like materials inside the compartment from another side of the vehicle, after which Mahendran produced the key and opened it.
A search revealed several boxes containing a total of 3,899 e-cigarette cartridges.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jolene Chia sought a jail term of 20 weeks, pointing to the rising number of vaping-related offences and the Government's tougher stance on enforcement.
She highlighted that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced during his National Day Rally speech on August 17, 2025, that stronger measures would be taken to address vaping in Singapore.
In mitigation, Mahendran, who was not represented by a lawyer, appealed for leniency, saying he was the main caregiver for his mother and siblings. He apologised to the court, expressing remorse for his actions.
In delivering the sentence, District Judge Terrence Tay said vaping has become an increasingly serious issue in Singapore, particularly among young people. He stressed that deterrence was a key sentencing consideration and that firm penalties were necessary to curb such offences.
Under the law, those convicted of importing imitation tobacco products may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.
