32-year-old single father of 3 ran Telegram vape shops for S$50 a week, jailed & fined $16,000

A single father of three was sentenced to seven weeks' jail and fined $16,000 on Dec. 1, for peddling vapes on Telegram.

Phua Ming Hui Shaun, 32, was part of a syndicate that sold and distributed vaporisers and other related components.

He was introduced to the illicit scheme through a friend in mid-April 2023.

Health Sciences Authority (HSA) officers caught him in a test-buy operation on Sep. 7, 2024, after receiving intel on Phua's Telegram group chat. 

Started as a courier

According to court documents, Phua started as a vape courier in mid-April 2023, after being introduced to the job by a friend.

He was added to a Telegram group chat that assigned work schedules to designated drivers.

He started sending vaporisers and their related components for a rate of $10 per completed delivery.

The delivery requirement was 10 to 15 parcels per day, amounting to around $100 to $150 per day.

Phua admitted to engaging in the service twice a week, spanning from mid-April till he was apprehended.

Telegram vape shop

In March 2024, the person who passed Phua parcels meant for delivery asked him if he would like to earn extra money.

The unnamed person proceeded to create Telegram group accounts on Phua's mobile phone titled "Abigail vape shop" and "Ashley Tang" for the purposes of managing the sale of vapes and related components.

Phua was added to seven group chats that facilitated the business.

The group chats' purposes included order-taking, vape packing, courier management (work schedules and delivery routes), and sales and enquiries.

For running the "Abigail vape shop" and "Ashley Tang"accounts, he was paid an additional $50 a week.

Phua admitted to earning about $500 per month through this job.

The test buy operation

Upon receiving intel on these illicit Telegram group chats that peddled vapes, HSA officers posed as interested buyers to nab dealers.

The test buy operation was conducted at Guilin View, in the vicinity of Blk 523 Bukit Batok Street 52.

At around 10:50pm on Sep. 7, 2024, Phua arrived with his girlfriend to deliver the products and was subsequently apprehended upon completion of the test buy operation.

The vehicle was searched, and vape paraphernalia were seized. 

This consisted of 16 disposable vaporisers, 1 disposable vaporiser with a cartridge attached, 30 vape pods, and 3 cartridge pieces.

An additional 5 pieces of disposable vaporisers were found in Phua's possession, which he admitted were for personal consumption.

Sentenced to seven weeks' jail

Phua pleaded guilty to 10 vape-related offences, and 35 other charges were considered for his sentencing.

He was fined $16,000 and sentenced to seven weeks' jail.

He will serve an additional 32 days in jail if he cannot pay the fine.

The Straits Times reported that Phua pleaded for Deputy Principal District Judge Kessler Soh to be lenient. 

“This is my first offence, please be lenient with me”

In mitigation, Phua stated that he needed money to support his three children.

HSA prosecutor Vishnu Aditya Naidu said deterrence was the main sentencing consideration in this case due to the increasing number of vaping-related cases and the "public disquiet" surrounding vaping. 

Top photo from Canva and Melanie Lim.