NSF under investigation after being caught for vape-related offences outside Sengkang HDB flat

SINGAPORE – A full-time national serviceman (NSF) is under investigation after he was seen vaping outside a Sengkang HDB flat in early April.

The police, in response to queries, said they received a call for assistance at Block 452A Sengkang West Way on April 2 at about 1.30am, and seized a vaporiser – also known as an e-cigarette – and a vape pod at the scene.

A 28-minute CCTV video of the incident, taken from inside the affected unit, was submitted by a resident to local media outlet Stomp.

In the footage, a man in a beige T-shirt is seen taking puffs from a device while stumbling along the corridor and trying to enter a flat, which does not appear to be his residence.

The man appears to be unsteady on his feet and falls to the ground outside the affected unit at one point. He then picks himself back up and continues to loiter along the corridor. Two police officers appear at around 1.50am, some 27 minutes after the start of the footage based on the timestamp on the video.

They can be heard asking the man for his address, which he seems to have trouble remembering. Shortly after, he leaves with the police officers.

A Ministry of Defence (Mindef) spokesperson told The Straits Times on April 24 that the man involved in the incident is an NSF with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

SAF is investigating the case.

“Mindef/SAF expects all personnel to uphold high standards of discipline and adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards the possession and use of vaporisers as well as prohibited substances,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that all service personnel who commit vaping-related offences will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.

ST has contacted HSA for more information.