In December, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) found 177 people at Changi Airport with e-vaporisers, or vapes, in a joint operation.
61 of them received fines for possessing the items while 116 avoided penalties by declaring and discarding them.
Meanwhile, another operation at Tuas Checkpoint on 21 Dec saw ICA officers finding 25 pieces of vapes and related parts in a Singapore-registered car.
According to a joint press release by ICA and HSA, they found 177 people with vapes at Changi Airport on 20, 23, 27, and 30 Dec.
61 of them received fines for having vapes in their possession.
Meanwhile, the other 116 passengers declared and discarded the items, thus managing to avoid the penalties.
Source: ICA
ICA and HSA added that the four-day operation was part of efforts to step up enforcement against vapes and prevent them from becoming entrenched locally.
In addition, the authorities conducted the operation to detect and deter attempts to bring vapes in via Changi Airport during the peak travel season.
This involved HSA and ICA officers monitoring passengers arriving at Changi Airport’s four terminals.
Source: ICA
The authorities also displayed pull-up banners and digital screens in high-traffic areas informing passengers about the prohibition of e-vaporisers in Singapore.
Source: ICA
They reminded passengers to pass through the Red Channel after collecting their luggage to declare vapes to the ICA officers.
Arriving passengers with baggage showing anomalies during scanning additionally had to go through further checks.
Source: ICA
HSA and ICA confiscated any vapes found and issued fines immediately to passengers who did not declare them.
Source: ICA
Apart from the inter-agency operation at Changi Airport, ICA officers uncovered 25 pieces of vapes and related parts at Tuas Checkpoint.
The items were hidden below the seats of the driver and passenger in a Singapore-registered car.
The enforcement action happened on 21 Dec.
Officers then referred the seized exhibits and subjects to HSA.
HSA and ICA added that in the coming months, they will be carrying out inter-agency operations at land and sea checkpoints.
ICA will also continue to conduct security checks and work with relevant authorities to detect and deter smuggling attempts.
Alongside these operations, authorities have stepped up enforcement against the possession and use of vapes in the community.
Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning will enhance detection and enforcement efforts against vaping, with other measures involving the improvement of detection and removal of sales and ads of vapes online.
In December, authorities detected 1,656 vape related cases.
In Singapore, the possession, use, or purchase of vapes has a maximum fine of S$2,000.
Importing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale vapes and their parts is also an offence.
Those found guilty will receive a fine of up to $10,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both for the first offence.
For second or subsequent offences, offenders will face a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
Authorities will seize all prohibited tobacco items as well.
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Featured image adapted from ICA.
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