Jail for man who sold Kpods and let stranger use his Singpass details for money
SINGAPORE – To earn money, a man allowed an unknown person to use his Singpass details to set up shell companies, which were then used to obtain work passes for 16 foreign nationals.
Loh Kai Siang, 29, was sentenced to eight months and three weeks’ jail on Nov 12, after pleading guilty to three charges.
Two charges were for obtaining a work pass for a business that does not exist, while the third was for the possession of cash from drug dealing.
Court documents showed that Loh joined a Telegram group named “fastcash” in 2023 and became acquainted with a person known as Jay La, who advertised ways to earn fast cash.
Loh messaged Jay La, who said he would set up a company and asked Loh to scan QR codes with his Singpass to approve transactions.
In return, Loh was promised $500 a month.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, Jay La registered Loh as the sole proprietor of “Songvie” and as the director of “Ruman”.
Loh had no oversight of either company and was unaware of their operations.
From March 2024, Jay La would send QR codes for Loh to scan with his Singpass. Loh complied, despite not knowing what the transactions were for.
Between March and June 2024, work passes were obtained for 16 foreigners in connection with Songvie and Ruman. Loh did not know who the foreigners were.
On Jan 5, 2026, Loh was arrested for trafficking Kpods, or etomidate-laced vapes.
Officers found Kpods in his bedroom, which he admitted were for his personal consumption.
Loh also confessed that he had previously sold Kpods to others, earning $390 from the sales.
Ministry of Manpower prosecutors Melanie Tan and Mohd Fadhli said Loh’s role in the scheme was instrumental, as his approval of the transactions enabled Jay La to use his Singpass credentials for work pass applications.
In mitigation, Loh said he was remorseful for his actions and asked for a lighter sentence. He also asked for a short deferment of sentence to settle his personal affairs, which the judge granted.
For obtaining a work pass for a business that does not exist, an offender can be jailed between six months and two years and fined up to $6,000.
