Singaporean arrested in Indonesia for running 'Labubu' vape production ring

Indonesian police have arrested a Singaporean man, identified by the initials TM, in Medan for his alleged role in a sophisticated, home-based vape production and distribution ring. The operation, which also involved an Indonesian woman identified as MWQ, reportedly generated at least 10 billion rupiah (S$722,000) since 2025.

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The suspect, who ran the vape ring with an Indonesian woman identified by the initials MWQ, was arrested on May 17 in a Medan hotel where he was suspected to have been arranging for a shipment of raw materials.

TM is suspected of managing the entire operation from his residence in Thailand, coordinating the shipment of raw materials from China to the Medan facility. His accomplice, MWQ, was apprehended at a luxury residence in Kota Medan, which served as the processing and packing hub. This location featured a multi-layer security system, including facial and fingerprint recognition.

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His accomplice was arrested on the same day at a luxury residence in Kota Medan where the vapes were processed and packed, said the police.

A third suspect, who allegedly assisted TM in marketing the vapes within Medan, remains at large. Authorities seized a significant quantity of contraband during the raid, including 862 vape cartridge tubes, numerous vape bottles, and over 10,500 packages bearing the popular 'Labubu' doll branding. The suspects reportedly used cryptocurrency for transactions to obscure financial flows.

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The residence in Kota Medan, which was rented for an estimated five million rupiah to seven million rupiah a month, was used as a production facility with a multi-layer security system that included facial and fingerprint recognition technology, said the police.