SINGAPORE - A total of 63 sets of electronic vaporisers and 2,368 related accessories worth $29,460 have been seized by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a joint operation.
These illegal items were ordered online from overseas and shipped into Singapore as toys, the HSA and ICA said in a joint statement on Wednesday (Sept 18).
Eleven suspects are assisting in the investigations.
E-vaporisers, which include e-cigarettes and e-cigars, are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid which contains nicotine to produce a vapour that is then inhaled.
Some of the illegal goods were seized on Sept 9 after ICA officers detected a batch of 31 parcels containing 27 sets of e-vaporisers and 400 pieces of related accessories at the Changi Airfreight Centre.
The HSA was alerted and it searched the locations listed on the addresses of the parcels last Thursday and Friday, seizing more sets of e-vaporisers and related accessories.
The operation comes amid a clampdown on e-vaporisers here.
From January to August, the HSA caught 43 people selling e-vaporisers illegally.
Earlier this month, a 35-year-old man who had sold e-vaporisers was fined $99,000 - the highest amount ever.
Anyone found guilty of selling, importing or distributing e-vaporisers can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.
Since Feb 1, 2018, it has also been illegal to possess, purchase or use e-vaporisers. Offenders can be fined up to $2,000.
"The public should not purchase any e-vaporisers, including through the Internet, to be brought into Singapore. They should also refrain from using e-vaporisers and discard any e-vaporisers they have in their possession," the HSA and ICA said.
Those with information on the illegal importation or sale of e-vaporisers can call HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037.
In the US, there is growing concern over the safety of e-cigarettes. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that there were 380 cases of lung illness linked to e-cigarette product use or vaping. Seven deaths have been reported.
On Tuesday, New York became the first state in the US to ban flavoured e-cigarettes. Other states are reported to be mulling over a similar ban.
