New: Malaysian repeat offender jailed, caught with 1,050 etomidate-laced pods

SINGAPORE — A Malaysian man was sentenced to 15 weeks’ jail after being caught smuggling 1,050 etomidate-laced e-cigarette pods worth S$73,500 through the Woodlands Checkpoint. Ji Saow Hua, 42, pleaded guilty to importing the pods, less than a year after being fined for a similar offence.

Court documents revealed Ji had previously assisted a man named Louis Lee in delivering e-cigarette devices in June 2024, importing 107 sets and 14 pods before being fined S$4,000. To settle the fine, he borrowed RM15,000 (S$4,720) from an unlicensed moneylender in Malaysia.

repeat offender

Facing financial difficulties in early 2025, Ji reconnected with Lee, who introduced him to Louis Wong. Wong offered Ji jobs smuggling e-cigarette devices into Singapore, promising S$300 per successful delivery. Ji eventually accepted due to mounting financial pressure.

On July 3, 2025, Ji collected seven packages containing e-cigarette devices from a shophouse in Johor, intending to smuggle them into Singapore before his work shift. However, the following morning, he was stopped for a routine check at Woodlands Checkpoint, leading to his arrest.

Prosecutors highlighted the seriousness of the offence, noting the pods contained etomidate, a controlled substance.

Photo: ST-Canva

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