Family Business Gone Wrong: Brothers And Girlfriend’s Drug Vape Could Cost Them Their Lives

Three siblings and a girlfriend face the death penalty for trafficking 1,656ml of MDMA-laced liquid in Batu Pahat — a case that reflects Malaysia’s escalating synthetic vape drug crisis.

Malay Mail

In Brief

Two brothers and a girlfriend face the death penalty or life imprisonment for trafficking MDMA-laced vape liquid and possessing ketamine in Johor.
Malaysia has seen a sharp rise in drug-laced vape cases, with 267 arrests in 2026 already surpassing the whole of 2025.
Synthetic vape drugs are fuelling a 50% surge in dangerous driving, with several viral crashes linked to impaired drivers across Malaysia.

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Two brothers and a woman were charged at the Magistrate’s Court in Batu Pahat, Johor, on Wednesday (15 July) with trafficking MDMA (ecstasy)-laced vape liquid and possessing ketamine.

The accused are Tong Chia Soon, 35, his younger brother Tong Chia Poh, 30, and Poh’s girlfriend Chloe Ong Jia Xuan, 28.

The trio were jointly charged with trafficking 1,656ml of liquid containing MDMA, an offence under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

If convicted, they face the death penalty, or life imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane.

No plea was recorded on this charge, as trafficking offences fall under the High Court’s jurisdiction.

Case Adjourned As Chemistry Report Remains Outstanding

They also face two separate charges of jointly possessing ketamine liquid weighing 1,656ml and ketamine weighing 415.40g.

The trio pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan represented the prosecution, while lawyer Suhaila Shafi’uddin appeared for the accused.

The prosecution applied for the case to be scheduled for mention as the chemistry report had not been completed.

Bail was not offered.

Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno fixed 28 September for mention, pending the chemistry report.

Part Of A Wider National Trend

The case comes amid a sharp rise in drug-laced vape cases across Malaysia. Police recorded 402 cases involving vape devices and liquids laced with synthetic drugs up to April.

Separately, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) logged 168 cases and 267 arrests related to synthetic vape drugs in 2026 alone, already surpassing the 108 cases recorded for the whole of 2025.

Enforcement action has scaled up dramatically alongside the case count:

A RM34.31 million raid in Perlis dismantled a syndicate distributing vape cartridges laced with furanylfentanyl, a synthetic opioid far more potent than regular fentanyl.
Ops Vape 1.0 cleared millions of ringgit worth of drug-laced stock from thousands of premises nationwide.

Street Names Disguise The Danger

Syndicates market these products under names designed to appeal to young users while concealing the actual contents:

“Magic Mushroom” / “Zombie Vape” — contain no organic mushroom compounds at all. Testing found they’re laced with synthetic cannabinoids such as MDMB-4en-PINACA, which produce unpredictable and often severe psychological effects.
“Piu Piu” / “Piao Piao” / “Kuah” — street terms for liquid blends infused with ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepines — the same substances at the centre of the Batu Pahat case.

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and the Ministry of Education have raised the alarm over addiction spreading among schoolchildren.

The problem is most severe in border states like Perlis, Kedah, and Kelantan, as well as transit hubs including Johor and Penang — the same corridor where the Batu Pahat case falls.

Surge In Dangerous Driving Tied To Synthetic Vape Narcotics

The threat has also spilt onto Malaysian roads.

Bukit Aman’s Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department reported a 50% surge in reckless and dangerous driving cases in the first half of 2026, with police attributing part of the spike to drivers operating vehicles while impaired by synthetic vape narcotics without realising the severity of their own impairment.

Viral incidents have driven public alarm:

A driver in Kuala Lumpur crashed head-on into a flyover pillar in June; vape cartridges containing “Piao Piao” were recovered from the wreckage.
A Kota Kinabalu driver, 24, caused a major crash and later admitted to police he had used a drug-adulterated vape liquid moments before driving.
A driver in Ulu Tiram, Johor, travelled against the flow of traffic under the influence of synthetic vape chemicals before crashing.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad has said the growing number of cases provides a strong basis for the government to consider a nationwide ban on vape sales and use.

Separately, the police have announced plans to deploy saliva test kits at traffic roadblocks nationwide, aimed at identifying drivers impaired by synthetic vape narcotics before they cause fatal collisions.

@asiaone Just days ago on June 11, Malaysian police called for a complete ban on electronic cigarettes and vaporisers after a new synthetic drug dubbed “piao piao” was detected in vape liquids. #MalaysiaNews #Malaysia #Police ♬ original sound – AsiaOne