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Tag: SIngapore

  • Singapore Busts Major Vape Smuggling Syndicate Linked to Malaysia

    Singapore Busts Major Vape Smuggling Syndicate Linked to Malaysia

    Singapore authorities announced the dismantling of a large-scale vape smuggling syndicate operating between Malaysia and Singapore, arresting 12 suspects and seizing over 64,000 vaping devices worth nearly RM2 million ($460,000). The suspects—11 men and one woman aged 25 to 35—were detained on October 16 during a joint operation led by the Singapore Police Force with support from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department, and Special Operations Command.

    Police said the syndicate was responsible for importing and distributing vapes to local buyers. The arrests took place at a car park where the group was allegedly distributing devices. Follow-up raids uncovered two storage facilities containing the illegal goods, alongside cash, multiple mobile devices, and eight vehicles used in the smuggling operation.

    All 12 suspects were charged in court for offenses under Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993, which prohibits the import, sale, and distribution of vapes. Four face conspiracy charges, while eight are charged with possession for sale. Offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 ($2,300) or jailed for six months for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat violations.

  • Concerns Rise Over ‘Vitamin Vapes’ Trend

    Concerns Rise Over ‘Vitamin Vapes’ Trend

    The Straits Times in Singapore reported today (September 5) that “vitamin diffusers,” which it says are being marketed aggressively by social media influencers in the UK, Australia, and the United States, are making their way to Southern Asia. Online sellers are promoting them as a wellness-focused alternative to e-cigarettes, but health experts caution that their chemical content is unknown and potentially hazardous.

    Touted as energy boosters, the devices are filled with additives such as caffeine, vitamin B12, essential oils, and even melatonin. Researchers say the trend represents a new phase of misleading advertising.

  • Malaysian Customs Seize 300K Illicit Vapes Bound for Singapore

    Malaysian Customs Seize 300K Illicit Vapes Bound for Singapore

    Malaysian Customs officers in Selangor’s Port Klang seized 300,000 e-vaporizers and components hidden in containers falsely declared as furniture, in what investigators believe was a smuggling attempt to supply Singapore’s black market. The shipment, which arrived from China on July 30, contained vapes branded “Salthub,” without mandatory Malaysian health warnings.

    A source close to the case told The Straits Times the devices were packed in green polythene bags, a common tactic used by smuggling syndicates. While vaping is legal in Selangor, legal products must meet strict packaging, labelling, and excise requirements.

    The UN Office on Drugs and Crime had previously warned that Malaysia is becoming a key maritime hub for drug and vape trafficking, with smugglers receiving illicit goods at the port and driving them to such places as Singapore.

  • Singapore Vape Ban is Tourism Opportunity for Indonesia

    Singapore Vape Ban is Tourism Opportunity for Indonesia

    Officials in Batam, Indonesia say Singapore’s strict ban on vaping could boost cross-border tourism, as Singaporeans seek looser regulations just a 45-minute ferry ride away.

    Batam Tourism Agency head Ardiwinata told The Jakarta Post that restrictions in Singapore historically drive residents to neighboring Batam, citing past examples where tight rules created new tourism opportunities. “As long as it does not violate our regulations, they can choose Batam,” he said.

  • Singapore Tightens Border, Seizes 850 Vapes in 5 Days

    Singapore Tightens Border, Seizes 850 Vapes in 5 Days

    Last week, Singapore announced its crackdown on smuggling and that it would treat vape crimes as drug offenses beginning on August 18. In the first five days of that initiative, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority seized over 850 e-cigarettes and related products in 184 cases.

    Enhanced checks now cover air, land, and sea entry points, including Changi Airport, the Singapore Cruise Centre, and Harbourfront Ferry Terminal. At Changi, banners warn travelers “Vaping is banned,” with red bins provided for disposal. Passengers who voluntarily declare vapes face no penalties, but those caught concealing them risk fines or prosecution.

    Under Singapore law, the purchase, possession, and use of vapes are strictly prohibited. Offenders face fines up to S$2,000 ($1,480), while those caught importing, distributing, or selling risk up to S$10,000 ($7,400) fines, six months in jail, or both. Repeat offenders can face penalties that are doubled.

  • Singapore to Treat Vaping as a Drug Offence, CAPHRA Objects

    Singapore to Treat Vaping as a Drug Offence, CAPHRA Objects

    Singapore will impose tougher nationwide enforcement against vaping, treating it as a drug issue with severe penalties with offenders facing possible jail sentences, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said during his National Day Rally on Aug 17. Wong said the government is acting due to rising cases of e-vaporizers laced with harmful substances, particularly etomidate, which has been linked to seizures and erratic behavior.

    Authorities reported a sharp rise in seizures, with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) confiscating S$41 million ($32 million) worth of e-vaporizers between January 2024 and March 2025, compared to just S$95,460 ($74,500) in 2019. This includes 28 cases of etomidate-laced pods in the first half of 2025, nearly triple the number detected in 2024.

    Under the planned changes, etomidate will be listed as a Class C controlled drug, subjecting users to mandatory rehabilitation programs and repeat offenders to jail terms. Sellers and importers face penalties of up to 20 years in prison and caning.

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) criticized Singapore’s decision to treat vaping as a drug offence, warning that harsher penalties and jail terms risk undermining global evidence on tobacco harm reduction.

    CAPHRA executive coordinator Nancy Loucas said the policy conflates contaminated black-market products with legitimate nicotine devices. “This is like banning all alcohol because some criminals sell methanol-laced spirits,” she argued, adding that prohibition will only fuel underground markets while denying smokers access to safer alternatives.

    Singapore banned e-cigarettes in 2018, yet smoking rates have remained stagnant at 10–16% for over a decade despite strict tobacco control. CAPHRA said countries regulating safer nicotine products, including the UK, Sweden, Japan, and New Zealand, are seeing steep declines in smoking-related deaths, urging Singapore to embrace regulation over prohibition.

  • Singapore May Strengthen Laws as Drug-Laced Vapes Surge

    Singapore May Strengthen Laws as Drug-Laced Vapes Surge

    The Singapore government is considering tightening vaping laws in response to a sharp rise in cases of e-vaporizers containing controlled substances like etomidate, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Home Affairs said. In the first half of 2025, 28 cases of e-vape pods containing etomidate — nearly three times the number found in all of 2024 — were detected, raising concerns about public health and drug misuse.

    Etomidate, a regulated anesthetic, has been found illegally in vape products designed for inhalation. The ministries warned of serious side effects, including muscle spasms, seizures, confusion, and potential physical dependence.

    Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, with penalties of up to S$2,000 ($1,560) for use or possession, and up to S$10,000 ($7,800) or six months in jail for sellers and importers. Authorities are now reviewing whether existing legislation provides sufficient enforcement powers and are coordinating efforts across numerous agencies. Over S$41 million ($32 million) worth of illegal vapes were seized from January 2024 to March 2025.

  • Men Jailed Over Failed Plot to Steal $5M in Seized Vapes

    Men Jailed Over Failed Plot to Steal $5M in Seized Vapes

    Lim Zhi Wei was sentenced to 27 months in jail and fined S$2,400 ($1,872) for his role in a failed plan to steal more than S$6.5 million ($5.1 million) worth of confiscated vape devices and related components from a secured warehouse in Singapore.

    Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo said Lim’s actions were part of a wider conspiracy involving multiple individuals attempting to retrieve the seized contraband. Lim pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, as well as several unrelated charges, including drug consumption, criminal breach of trust, and receiving S$10,000 ($7,800) in scam proceeds through his bank account.

    Lim was offered S$20,000 ($15,600) by alleged ringleader Chua Wee Ming to break into the unit, which contained over 540,000 vaping-related items previously seized from Chua’s alleged smuggling syndicate by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). Lim brought along a 23-year-old accomplice, Elvin Suriaganandhan, and the two began surveilling the property on March 26, 2024, before being stopped by HSA officers.

    Lim’s sentencing follows that of Chee Wai Yuen, who was jailed last week for 15 months after attempting an earlier reconnaissance mission at the same warehouse.

    Chua recruited Chee in March 2023 to check if the unit was guarded, but Chee was intercepted by HSA officers. He was found with ketamine and methamphetamine, fled Singapore while on bail by hiding in a lorry, and was later arrested in Malaysia and extradited in October 2023.

    Chua, the central figure allegedly behind the smuggling ring and theft plan, remains in custody, his case pending.

  • Singapore’s Vape Crackdown Seized $31M in Products

    Singapore’s Vape Crackdown Seized $31M in Products

    Between January 2024 and March 2025, nearly 18,000 people were cited for possession and use of vapes in Singapore after authorities stepped up enforcement efforts, local officials said. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Health said that e-vaporizers and related components worth more than S$41 million ($31.6 million) were seized over that span.

    Those guilty of having vape products can be fined up to S$2,000 ($1,540), while those who import or distribute can be fined up to S$10,000 ($7,700) and/or jailed for up to six months for a first offense.

    Those facing more serious charges include two people linked to an e-vaporizer syndicate case that involved more than S$5 million ($3.9 million) worth of the devices.

  • Young Asians Moving from Cigarettes to Vape

    Young Asians Moving from Cigarettes to Vape

    Young people in Southeast Asia are moving from smoking cigarettes to vaping and heated tobacco products (HTPs) instead, a survey of consumer research and data analytics from Milieu Insight said. It surveyed more than 18,000 legal-age adults across Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, studying their consumption trends, flavor preferences, purchase channels, reasons for use, and future adoption.

    “The study shows some key factors influencing this trend,” said Gerald Ang, Milieu Insight’s chief operating officer. “One key factor is the variety of flavor, with fruit and menthol flavor dominating consumer choice in alternative nicotine products.

    “E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being ‘cheaper’ is also an important reason for using alternative nicotine products.”

    Even though Singapore has banned the use of alternative nicotine products, they are still prevalent among people aged 21 to 29, the survey found, with 7.8% in that age group use vapes and HTPs, while 5.7% smoke cigarettes. The study also found that in Singapore, 43% bought these products from online shopping and messaging platforms, 29% bought the alternative nicotine products from friends and family, and 19% bought them on social media platforms.

    Ang said the study shows that e-cigarette and HTP use in the region is expected to grow, as a sizeable portion of smokers indicated that they were likely to use alternative nicotine products in the next six months.

    In Vietnam, which has also banned these alternative nicotine products, 9.2% of people in the 25 to 34 age bracket are vaping. And in Malaysia, 14.8% of young people between 20 and 29 are using e-cigarettes and HTPs.