This study investigates charge transport in few-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂), revealing that sulphur vacancies (SVs) induce localized donor states within the bandgap. Transport behavior at low carrier densities is dominated by nearest-neighbour hopping at high temperatures and variable-range hopping (VRH) at low temperatures, consistent with Mott's formalism. The localized states, arising from short-range surface defects, play a crucial role in determining the electronic properties and device performance of MoS₂. TEM and DFT calculations confirm the presence of SVs, with densities up to 10¹³ cm⁻². These defects significantly affect charge transport, with electrons localized near SVs and transported via hopping. The study also shows that the metal-insulator transition in MoS₂ is linked to the filling of these gap states. The results highlight the importance of surface defects in tailoring the properties of MoS₂ for electronic and optoelectronic applications. The findings suggest that improving sample quality through methods like chemical vapour deposition is essential for better device performance.This study investigates charge transport in few-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂), revealing that sulphur vacancies (SVs) induce localized donor states within the bandgap. Transport behavior at low carrier densities is dominated by nearest-neighbour hopping at high temperatures and variable-range hopping (VRH) at low temperatures, consistent with Mott's formalism. The localized states, arising from short-range surface defects, play a crucial role in determining the electronic properties and device performance of MoS₂. TEM and DFT calculations confirm the presence of SVs, with densities up to 10¹³ cm⁻². These defects significantly affect charge transport, with electrons localized near SVs and transported via hopping. The study also shows that the metal-insulator transition in MoS₂ is linked to the filling of these gap states. The results highlight the importance of surface defects in tailoring the properties of MoS₂ for electronic and optoelectronic applications. The findings suggest that improving sample quality through methods like chemical vapour deposition is essential for better device performance.