A 35-year-old man who sold electronic vaporisers has been fined $99,000 by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) - the highest amount ever.

HSA said in a statement yesterday that it had prosecuted Chong Weisheng on the same day for operating an online business in which he advertised and sold e-vaporisers.

HSA inspectors raided Chong's flat in Gangsa Road in March 2015.

Chong's fine is the highest penalty that has been imposed for the sale of e-vaporisers. In 2014, an offender was fined $64,500.

Twenty people have been prosecuted for selling e-vaporisers, which include e-cigarettes and e-cigars, in the past five years.

E-vaporisers are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid called "vape juice", which contains nicotine, to produce a vapour that is then inhaled.

HSA's investigations showed that Chong had illegally purchased e-vaporisers from various overseas suppliers to sell them on the huntersbrew.net website.

He had come across news of HSA's raids on e-vaporiser peddlers and tried to hide his illegal activities, changing the website domain name twice to avoid detection. The third website required users to have a password to access it.

All sale transactions were titled "computer IT services" as a cover-up.

In its statement, HSA reiterated that it is an offence to sell, import or distribute e-vaporisers.

Anyone found guilty of doing so can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months or both.

Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to one year or both.

Since Feb 1 last year, it has also been illegal to possess, purchase or use e-vaporisers. Offenders can be fined up to $2,000.

If members of the public have information on the illegal importation, distribution or sale of e-vaporisers, they can call HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037, or e-mail HSA at hsa_trb@hsa.gov.sg

More information can be found on HSA's website.