SINGAPORE: A lorry was found to be hiding 2,200 units of e-vaporisers and related components at the Tuas Checkpoint on Aug 5.
The Malaysian-registered vehicle was entering Singapore when it was checked by officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), who discovered vapes hidden in the cabin and toolbox compartment.
The case was subsequently referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation, said ICA on Aug 8.
This is the latest discovery of vapes at Singapore’s land checkpoints in recent weeks.
On July 29, 2,400 units of vapes and their related components were found on a lorry entering Singapore at Tuas Checkpoint on July 29.
Less than a week earlier on July 24, more than 5,900 units of vapes and related components were found in a car at Woodlands Checkpoint.
ICA also thwarted attempts to smuggle such items on June 27 and July 8 at the Woodlands Checkpoint, during which they found a combined total of more than 7,400 vape products.
More of such contraband smuggling attempts have been exposed in recent years, according to the statistics by ICA. In 2023, there were 43,000 such cases, including attempts to smuggle cigarettes and vapes, and 44,000 in 2024.
Enforcement efforts have ramped up in the wake of this increase, and ICA in April said it detected a total of 308 cases involving vapes at Singapore’s air, land and sea checkpoints in 2024.
Lorries and buses have to go through radiographic scanning at checkpoints, and will be subject to further checks if anomalies are detected.
Smaller vehicles such as cars and motorcycles can also be scanned using a mobile X-ray machine.
From January 2024 to March 2025, HSA seized S$41 million worth of vapes – nearly fivefold the reported value of vapes seized from 2019 to end-2023, according to numbers compiled by The Straits Times. - The Straits Times/ANN
