Aiyo, we all know times are tough and side hustles are all the rage these days. Some people ride Grab, some do affiliate marketing, some sell pre-loved clothes on Carousell. But some local uncles and youths have been taking “side hustle” to a whole new, dangerous level—trading their freedom for quick cash.

Grab your kopi, sit down, and let’s talk about the absolute criminal mastermind saga of “Cashcat”, along with a slew of other recent vape sellers and smugglers who learned the hard way that Singapore authorities are not playing around.

Episode 1: The Legend of “Cashcat” & The Tyre-Key Mastermind

Our main story involves 45-year-old Desmond Lim De Wen, who was underwater with debts and scrolling through Telegram looking for quick cash. That’s where he met his new “boss,” a mystery figure going by the handle “Cashcat.”

The job description? Pure James Bond stuff (if James Bond operated in HDB carparks):

1. Drive a van to random roadsides along Mattar Road and Kent Road.
2. Load up heavy, unattended cardboard boxes stuffed with illegal vapes.
3. Drive the van to a multi-storey carpark near his home in Yishun.
4. Park the van, take the keys, and leave them… on top of the front right tyre.

Yes, military-grade security logic: Put the keys on the tyre. And his grand payout for playing secret agent? A whopping $50 per trip.

At 6:00 AM inside the Yishun carpark, Singapore Customs and HSA officers ambushed him. Inside the van? 21,078 illegal vapes and pods worth $234,000! Turns out he was also selling vapes to his own personal customers on the side.

• The Sentence: 22 weeks’ jail + $7,000 fine.

Episode 2: The $50,000 Ah Long Debt Delivery Driver

If you think 22 weeks in jail is harsh, look at 33-year-old Melvin Wong Mun Hao.

Faced with a $50,000 loan shark debt, he agreed to become a delivery driver for the syndicate. His routine: pick up vapes at Tagore Lane, load them into a rental van, and deliver them to a multi-storey carpark in Boon Lay.

Customs officers intercepted the operation after finding contraband vapes inside a factory trailer at Sungei Kadut.

• The Sentence: 24 weeks’ jail (6 months behind bars).

Episode 3: The 40,000 Vape Bishan/Ubi Warehouse Packer

Think being “just a packer” keeps you safe from jail? Think again.

21-year-old Chong Jun Keong took a job earning $100 a day to pack vape orders in two industrial warehouses in Bishan (Jalan Pemimpin) and Ubi.

When HSA officers raided the Bishan location, he was caught walking out the door. Authorities checked his phone, found the address of the second secret warehouse in Ubi, and seized over 40,000 vapes and components weighing nearly 3,000 kg!

• The Sentence: 41 weeks’ jail (nearly 10 months in prison).

Wait, Why No Rotan (Caning) for Vape Smugglers?

Now, some of you reading this might be wondering: “Wah, haul hundreds of thousands of dollars in contraband, how come none of them got canned by the court?”

There are two main reasons for this:

1. Vape Offences Don’t Carry Caning Under the Law: Under Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, offenses related to importing, distributing, or possessing e-vaporisers carry heavy fines (up to $10,000 per charge) and jail sentences (up to 6 or 12 months), but caning is not a statutory punishment. Caning in Singapore is strictly reserved for violent crimes, serious vandalism, illegal moneylending harassment, or major drug trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
2. Caning is Saved for Scams and Syndicates Instead: If these guys had been running an online scam or handing over bank accounts to a scam syndicate, they would be facing the rotan. Under the Penal Code and Organised Crime Act, remote communication scams carry mandatory caning of at least 6 strokes (up to 24 strokes), while scam mules face up to 12 strokes. Parliament introduced these strict penalties specifically due to the massive financial damage caused by scam syndicates.

The Moral of the Story?

Whether it’s “Cashcat” offering $50 to hide keys on a tyre, a loan shark asking you to move boxes, or a “warehouse boss” offering $100 a day to pack parcels—it is a trap!

HSA and Singapore Customs are raiding warehouses, tracking Telegram groups, and laying carpark ambushes every single week. $50 or $100 might buy you a nice meal today, but spending 5 to 10 months in Changi Prison will cost you your whole future! Stick to legal side income, folks!

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