A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Singapore following the discovery of a large consignment of illegal e-vaporiser pods concealed within a cargo container. The operation, conducted jointly by the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), resulted in the seizure of over 9,200 vape pods.
The contraband was uncovered on September 17 at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station. ICA officers flagged an inbound cargo container for enhanced screening, revealing that the e-vaporiser pods were hidden among items falsely declared as “power banks.”
The day after the discovery, HSA and the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) successfully identified and apprehended the 25-year-old Singaporean man suspected of involvement in the illegal importation. In addition to the cargo container haul, the man was also found in possession of an extra 85 vapes and related components.
The total estimated street value of all the seized items exceeds S$51,000.
Authorities stress that importing, distributing, selling, or offering to sell e-vaporisers and their components is a crime under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. Penalties for a first offense can include a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both. Furthermore, new enforcement measures introduced on September 1 have increased the penalties for individuals caught possessing, using, or purchasing these prohibited items. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
