A man has been fined S$8,500 after he reported a break-in and claimed that IT gadgets had been stolen from his warehouse, only for investigations to later reveal that the items were in fact e-vaporisers and related products.

Lim Zhi Wei, a 38-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty to four charges under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act of selling or advertising imitation tobacco products on Dec. 7, CNA reported.

Another six charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

He will have to serve 17 days' jail in default if he is unable to pay the fine.

According to CNA's checks on Dec. 8, he has not paid the fine.

Reported IT gadgets stolen

The court heard that Lim had made a report about a break-in and theft of IT gadgets from a warehouse that he was in charge of.

The police subsequently discovered during their investigations that the stolen items were e-cigarette devices and related components, and not IT gadgets.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) was informed, and Lim was arrested on May 13, 2022.

The police seized 60,050 pods, 172 boxes of vaporisers with pods, 1,601 box sets of vaporisers without pods, 296 pieces of vaporisers without pods, 22 pieces of disposable vaporisers and 27 bags of assorted vaporisers and pods, among other things.

The HSA also found more e-cigarettes and components during their search of Lim's home.

Other prohibited items were also found in the rental car he used.

Admitted to packing, selling and delivering e-cigarettes

Lim confessed to engaging in the packing, selling, and delivery of e-cigarettes and associated components within Singapore.

He promoted these prohibited items through a chat conversation, and alleged that he carried out these activities to a purported Malaysian man named Jason.

Lim further claimed that another individual known to him as William was also involved in these operations.

Received about S$2,000 to S$3,000 in two months

For every parcel he delivered, Lim said he was paid S$10, and for every parcel that he packed, he was paid S$1.

He received about S$2,000 to S$3,000 as payment during the two months of being involved in packing and delivering parcels of e-cigarettes and related components, he said.

Investigations uncovered that in April 2022, Lim conducted a sale on WhatsApp, offering an individual 50 boxes of assorted pod flavours at S$9 per box.

Earlier, in February 2022, he advertised "root beer" flavoured pods to another potential buyer on WhatsApp, providing a photo for consideration.

In addition, Lim sold 13 boxes containing 39 grape-flavoured pods for S$300 to an individual on WhatsApp.

The transaction involved Lim receiving payment through DBS PayLah! and delivering the pods to the buyer's maid at a void deck in Bishan.

For selling or offering for sale an imitation tobacco product, a first-time offender can get up to six months' jail, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

Repeat offenders face double the maximum jail term and fine.

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