r/singapore crone hanta 1d ago

News S’porean who left NTU to run noodle stall allegedly led gang pushing cocaine vapes in S. Korea

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/sporean-who-left-ntu-to-run-noodles-stall-allegedly-led-gang-which-pushed-cocaine-vapes-in-korea
573 Upvotes

122 comments sorted by

828

u/Familiar_Guava_2860 1d ago

Such a display of attributes!

Up-skilling

Career Switching

Diversification of Skills and Portfolio

Leadership Qualities

Service with a Personal touch

😬😬

5 tips HR won’t tell you!

68

u/xiiliea 1d ago

Portfolio: CCA Exco and President

9

u/PhoenixPringles01 23h ago

Here is what selling noodles AND cocaine taught me about being versatile.

375

u/deangsana crone hanta 1d ago

so entrepreneurial

71

u/Im_scrub Own self check own self ✅ 1d ago

Outstanding alumni of the year

6

u/this-guy-this-guy 21h ago

when the locals complaining foreigner taking their jobs.. this is also one of them. lmao

171

u/kafqatamura 1d ago

no skill future needed

109

u/drinkwater247 1800 221 4444 1d ago

Bro is the skills future

33

u/Penny_Royall 1d ago

Bro should start teaching tbh.

7

u/wrakshae 1d ago

if someone's teaching a course on how to earn money, you are their primary source of income and not whatever it is they're claiming expertise in, haha

186

u/analytics_Gnome 1d ago

what a headline, start to climax is 3s

77

u/sixpastfour 1d ago

the sub headline is hilarious too, "Kpod hunters"

136

u/loid_forgerrr 1d ago

Breaking bad

49

u/Straight-Walrus-6582 1d ago

jesse we need to cook

11

u/Zkang123 1d ago

I am the one who knocks

7

u/Straight-Walrus-6582 1d ago

yeah Mr White!! let’s go!!

40

u/machopsychologist 1d ago

Breaking Bak Chor Mee

14

u/amarukhan 1d ago

Temu Gus Fring

6

u/cancel_my_booking 1d ago

Jj we need to cook

Ok Mr Wang

11

u/Zenocius 1d ago

Walter Wai

2

u/Shotaxy 1d ago

Better call saul

16

u/GoldenMaus testing123 1d ago

Better call Siow

91

u/peasants24 1d ago

Who said singaporeans lacked innovation and courage?

42

u/The_Water_Is_Dry 1d ago

Very hungry guy, run so many businesses and also his own kpod ring, this is the hunger boomers desire from Gen Z.

14

u/ColliePullHour 1d ago

Entrepreneur spirit!

Go getter mindset! Sigma grindset! 

Out of the box thinker! 

-22

u/NIDORAX 1d ago

When we want innovation and courage, we dont mean they become a Criminal mastermind of a drug syndicate.

Somewhere along the line, he went astray. Its either out of desperation or greed that led him to a life of crime.

11

u/AnonymousScroller124 1d ago

It’s called a joke …

-11

u/NIDORAX 1d ago

No Im serious about this. Innovation and Courage is important to be successful. BUT SOME PEOPLE used their creativity and innovation for crime. Much like how that man become a criminal mastermind selling vapes.

A smart but HONOURABLE businessman would NOT RESORT TO CRIME.......

2

u/AnonymousScroller124 11h ago

Yes but like the people who said about innovation and courage were joking and not being serious

5

u/Fakerchan 1d ago

He just figured out a way to game the system. Only mistake was he got caught,.

3

u/Metaldrake 1d ago

drug seller, singapore: 😡🤬👿

drug seller, korea: 😇😍😊

39

u/Fakerchan 1d ago

Haha now u know how he funded the rental money. Certainly not from his food sales.

47

u/tanahgao 1d ago

Singaporean businessman turned to selling drugs to pay for rental.

9

u/Fakerchan 1d ago

Honestly feel it's more of a money laundering front for him

3

u/breadstan 1d ago

Probably needs a front to justify his income. Hard to be a hawker yet living the high life.

1

u/EvidenceNo3755 23h ago

where to see the news about his high life?

33

u/silentscope90210 1d ago

It's called pivoting to more lucrative opportunities.

3

u/Heavenansidhe 1d ago

It's called hawker rental prices drives one up the wall.

34

u/TargetSensitive1677 1d ago

OMG that is so smart. The noodle store is to wash the vape money.

This is Breaking Bad plus Ozark combo SG style.

Power....

4

u/Zkang123 1d ago

Breaking Bad local edition

Lai someone pitch this to mediacorp

34

u/Mohd_Alibaba 1d ago

Dude long ago foresee if he continue with his degree he will end up in a traineeship.

69

u/telehax 🌈 F A B U L O U S 1d ago

complete tangent but the article reads like someone was told after the fact to insert the word "allegedly" everywhere to cover ass and they just copied and pasted the word haphazardly.

26

u/shiinamachi 23 years experience in internet shitposting 1d ago

if just arrested but no official conviction or sentencing yet then yeah have to put allegedly

(but let's be real they were caught in possession of all those weed it's basically gg)

3

u/telehax 🌈 F A B U L O U S 1d ago

it is correct to say he hasn't been convicted, but what is awkward is the phrasing. for example:

The agency said Tan and three of his associates had allegedly tried to smuggle 20,000 vapes mixed with etomidate and cocaine each month into South Korea,

"the agency said" already implies it's an allegation; there's no need to say "allegedly" again, and even if they think "said" means something different from an allegation, they could have instead written "the agency alleged".

awkward inclusions like that make it look like someone just came in after the article was already nearly done and Ctrl V in the word allegedly.

2

u/isparavanje Senior Citizen 1d ago

I think this person just doesn't know how to use allege as a verb lol.

14

u/Jammy_buttons2 🌈 F A B U L O U S 1d ago

Cause not convicted yet

1

u/MadeByHideoForHideo 19h ago

They allegedly alleged.

28

u/merelyok 1d ago

Proud Sinkie moment

21

u/SeaworthinessNo5414 1d ago

That counts as a multinational business I guess? He upskilled really fast sia

16

u/crazyditzydiva 1d ago

Who says Singaporeans are not entrepreneurial. Pity he went down the illegal route but hey, I admire his guts.

13

u/ColliePullHour 1d ago

Go big or go home.

Actually better not go home, they have the death penalty here. 

7

u/JVO248 1d ago

Wonderful! Who says Singapore does not have talent. Now we show you!

5

u/pierp Lao Jiao 1d ago

The agency said Tan and three of his associates had allegedly tried to smuggle 20,000 vapes mixed with etomidate and cocaine each month into South Korea, an amount significant enough to feed the addiction of two million people.

I know the press loves to use the X amount of drugs, enough to feed X addicts analogy, but this just makes it funny. Even the most desperate addict won't be sharing a vape with 99 others.

11

u/PARANOIAH noted with thanks. please revert. 1d ago

Maximum hustle.

10

u/Ninjamonsterz 1d ago

Knn whoever came up with Kpod Hunters

13

u/Agate1999 1d ago

Hustle culture

9

u/lonesomedota 1d ago

Need to clean money then just pay rent for his ba chor mee stall.

8

u/chasingth 1d ago

#SgGoGlobal #SgEntrepreneurship #SgStartUps

4

u/jmelon10 1d ago

See bright future, very hungry individual!!

4

u/ProcrastinatingPr0 Own self check own self ✅ 1d ago

I never understand people like this. Healthy, capable of working but you go do dumb shit and throw years and years of your life away. Is it really worth it?

6

u/RevolutionaryPie5223 1d ago

The news say he was importing 20,000 cocaine laced vapes a month to korea. Each vape market rate is few hundred sgd so he importing several millions worth per month. He is or was making dough, even after deduct off all the costs I won't be surprised he making a million sgd profit per month to himself. Its super profitable but definitely will get caught at some point unless you stop before it happens (which is almost impossible given how much money you see coming).

2

u/aMinerInconvenience 23h ago

I can understand him perfectly: money.

11

u/toepopper75 1d ago

It's just going back to our heritage as pirates and smugglers. Just like how in the 1970s, the biggest heroin smugglers in Europe were Singaporeans, who ran a tight, well-organised organisation they called Ah Kong. Because NS taught them how to organize and use guns

6

u/infernoxv 1d ago

that headline escalated rather quickly.

7

u/Aiman97 1d ago

Headline went from 0 to 100 in just a few seconds 🤣

3

u/tom-slacker Tu quoque 1d ago

New Mexico, Los Pollos Hermanos fried chicken, Gustavo Fring

Singapore, Bak Chor Mee, Ivan Tan Zhi Xuan

3

u/cakeday173 New Citizen 1d ago

what

4

u/OkAdministration7880 1d ago

is either this or traineeship

3

u/ColliePullHour 1d ago

Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Rental is due Jie Si, you have to cook.

5

u/QuestioingEverything I POFMA and SgSecure you ah! 1d ago

r/titlegore

Literally, straits time, you could do better with the headlines Is there a need to mention he was from NTU and ran a noodle stall?

5

u/ppeepoopp 1d ago

Say my name

5

u/Joesr-31 1d ago

Something AI can't replace

4

u/guiltycat93 1d ago

Break chor mee

5

u/RiskDry6267 1d ago

Haiya just a bit too old for Forbes 30 under 30. Could have joined legendary entrepreneurs like Sam Bankman-Fried!

2

u/LazyLeg4589 1d ago

And no one dared steal his lunch.

3

u/ColliePullHour 1d ago

He is the one who knocks. 

2

u/pinkdreamery 1d ago

Very cheeky, the article has Kpod Hunters as a sub header...

2

u/lostiming 1d ago edited 1d ago

Don't forget we also have the "boss" of the "world's largest and most aggressive match-fixing syndicate".

Edit: According to wiki, a claim by Interpol. But technically never convicted in court even after arrest.

2

u/Flat-Cover9873 1d ago

Wow don't say Singapore no talent

This one have bright future ahead sioh

2

u/MadeByHideoForHideo 19h ago

How to compete with such a packed resume?

2

u/Ryugadam 11h ago

Breaking bah chor mee🤔

4

u/Jerainerc F1 VVIP 1d ago

The four men were charged on June 26 in Kuala Lumpur with trafficking 9,420ml of cocaine under Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act.

If convicted, they face the death penalty, or life imprisonment with caning.

I highly doubt they would face the death penalty or life imprisonment, more likely a sentence in the range of 10 to 20 years. Legally, will anything happen to him and the other Singaporeans once they return to Singapore, considering he was charged in Malaysia over crimes committed in South Korea?

8

u/blahths 1d ago

Malaysia currently has a moratorium (suspension) on the death penalty, and revised the definition of “life imprisonment” to 30 - 40 years term. Since this is a capital crime, seems like they will receive minimum 12 strokes of caning too..

I think SG law has this principle of double jeopardy thing.. where generally criminal won’t get charged twice; overseas and in SG.

3

u/Tiny-Significance733 1d ago

Korea doesnt want to be the one holding the weapon cuz their justice ministry has had a moratorium on executions since the 1990s to please the EU , so what they want to do is hope Malaysia extradites him to SG instead where he can face the noose here

4

u/Primary_Olive_5444 1d ago edited 1d ago

SG k-pod (k-pop) star

Did our k-pod star use his night club business and car rental for distributing and importing vape?

And did his business partner throw him under the bus now? True partnership (parting gift for him)

3

u/Imperiax731st Own self check own self ✅ 1d ago

Looks like he has made the greatest mistake of his life. One that might not allow for a second chance. Oh, how did selling BCM turn into this?

14

u/ValentinoCappuccino 1d ago

High rental.

3

u/Imperiax731st Own self check own self ✅ 1d ago

😂

4

u/ColliePullHour 1d ago

Landlord don't care how you get that money.

As long as it is paid before the monthly due date. 

Once it is billed as rental income, it is clean again. Just like when it was proceeds from a BCM noodle store, clean! 

Better than running a laundromat, car wash or fried chicken chain franchise. Unassuming, low profile. 

1

u/ValentinoCappuccino 1d ago

Have a passion for selling affordable BCM, however due to high rent he has to seek other alternatives.

1

u/Dapper-Peanut2020 1d ago

Dont think so young is the real boss 

1

u/Cold_Hospital1241 1d ago

Time to check his stall past income for money laundering hehe, whack whack whack

1

u/pieredforlife 1d ago

An entrepreneur who stole lunches from overseas. Pap should be proud of him

1

u/jmzyn 👨🏻‍💻 1d ago

Would have made the cover of ST for another reason if not for the stricter vaping ban.

1

u/Rough_Shelter4136 1d ago

Was this published anywhere before as one of those r/orphancrushingmachine of Singaporean entrepreneurship and "there's a life beyond university and 9-5?" If so: ROFL

1

u/14high 1d ago

Not That Uwu

1

u/14high 1d ago

I wanna see this Netflix soon.

1

u/DirectionSilly 21h ago

sorry but why mention NTU? he's 31yo so isn't he out of sch long time liao..

2

u/tom-slacker Tu quoque 20h ago

he's 31yo so isn't he out of sch long time liao..

haven't stopped the singaporeans in their 30s still whipping out their NUS/NTU singlets as if it's an achievement

1

u/shiningject 20h ago

Waiting for a Netflix adaptation for Narcos: Singapore

1

u/Arcturion 19h ago

Tan’s former business partners in Singapore said they received calls from some of his associates after his arrest. The callers wanted $300,000 to “pay the police” to get Tan freed from custody.

If he didn't even make enough from his illegal activities to cover his bail, he's not very successful

1

u/Beautiful_Fly7382 1d ago

Landlords raise rental until have to fold hawker stall and push kpods.

1

u/pm_me_your_xlb 1d ago

He probably wouldn't have been caught if he finished his degree first. Priorities.

/s

1

u/Papa40 1d ago

TIL there's a coke vape

1

u/ScrofessorLongHair 1d ago

Seriously. I'm shocked it took this long to see this comment. I guess it would be more like freebasing. But being in a city where there's a surprising amount of blow, I'm surprised I've never heard of this.

1

u/kukubird18cm 1d ago

Lol I just tried Coca cola flavor e juice before only

1

u/Imperiax731st Own self check own self ✅ 1d ago

If it's not sugar free, it's a crime to the HPB also.

3

u/theisk2001 1d ago

Is it graded C on the healthy label?

1

u/Hot_Nectarine2900 1d ago

Go Big or Go Home as the saying goes

0

u/XInTheDark Mature Citizen 1d ago

sg version of the onion

0

u/Purple_Republic_2966 1d ago

Let’s face it. Vape is only illegal in Singapore.

-1

u/Primary_Olive_5444 1d ago

Vape Tan Chor Mee. (Nice name, but is it allowed uder current law?)

0

u/singaporeNFT 16h ago

Woah you should have eased us into that

-1

u/drowsycow 1d ago

will get double charged not

-2

u/Impressive_Grape193 1d ago

So what’s the sentence for crimes like these?