Authorities seize S$66,000 worth of e-vaporisers, accessories

SINGAPORE: The authorities seized dozens of electronic vaporisers and thousands of related accessories over the course of about a week earlier this month, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a joint media release on Tuesday (Nov 26).

A 28-year-old man suspected of peddling the items had ordered them online from overseas vendors and attempted to import the products by declaring them as electronic and facial products, said HSA and ICA. He is assisting HSA with investigations.

In total, 189 sets of e-vaporisers and 4,703 related accessories were seized. The estimated street value of the products is S$66,000, said ICA and HSA.

On Nov 7, ICA officers at Changi Airfreight Centre alerted HSA after detecting a consignment of parcels containing e-vaporisers and related accessories.

They uncovered eight parcels containing 24 sets of e-vaporisers and 1,209 accessories. All the parcels were bound for the same addressee.

The authorities then visited the addressee’s storage premises, and seized five more sets of e-vaporisers and 3,194 accessories. 

A few days later on Nov 13, HSA was again alerted to another suspicious consignment at Changi Airfreight Centre. 

Seven parcels addressed to the same suspect were found to contain 160 sets of e-vaporisers and 300 accessories.

First-time offenders who smuggle and peddle e-vaporisers could be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Offenders could be fined up to S$20,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both for subsequent offences.

“The public should not purchase any e-vaporisers (including through the Internet), to be brought into Singapore,” said ICA and HSA. 

“The public should also refrain from using e-vaporisers and discard any e-vaporisers they have in their possession.”

Anyone caught using, buying or in possession of e-vaporisers can also be fined up to S$2,000.