16 11 月, 2021

Man who stole e-vaporisers to sell for profit is one of eight prosecuted by HSA

SINGAPORE - A 23-year-old man hatched a scheme with two others to steal electronic vaporiser pods from a delivery man so they could resell the illicit items for a profit. But it all went up in smoke when the delivery man called the police and the trio were caught. Justin Yeo Kiong Swee was sentenced to two weeks' jail and a fine of $2,000 on Oct 27. His accomplices' cases are pending. Yeo was one of eight people prosecuted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) between July and October this year for the illegal sale of electronic vaporisers and components. The youngest offender was aged 19. More than $70,000 worth of e-vaporisers and components, which they bought from abroad and sold online, were seized from them. The eight offenders were fined $57,000 in total. The 19-year-old, Tang Wee Meng, was arrested by a police officer while trying to smuggle the goods across Woodlands Checkpoint. He had been selling e-vaporisers on messaging platform Telegram. Tang was sentenced to 15 months' probation in July for his offences. Another offender, Yew Chee Sian, 32, was caught trying to smuggle over 7,000 pieces of e-vaporisers and components through parcel post to sell them. Of the eight, Yew was given the highest fine of $40,500 for his offences under the Tobacco Act. PHOTO: HSA HSA said it had prosecuted 64 people between January 2018 and October this year for selling e-vaporisers and components. "The highest fine meted out so far was $99,000 for the illegal sale of these prohibited items. There was also a case where one person was sentenced to one week's imprisonment and a fine of $61,000," said HSA. Those convicted of selling, importing or distributing e-vaporisers and components can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to six months for the first offence. PHOTO: HSA For repeat offenders, the maximum punishment is a fine of up to $20,000 and a jail term of up to a year. Since Feb 1, 2018, it has been illegal to possess, purchase or use e-vaporisers. The penalty is a fine of up to $2,000 for each offence. HSA said 6,354 people were taken to task for such offences between February 2018 and October this year. More on this topic Related Story HSA seizes biggest haul of over $2m worth of e-vaporisers, related components in Boon Lay Related Story 14 Malaysians jailed after 'largest seizure' of e-vaporisers and components worth about $700,000

23 3 月, 2021

HSA confiscates $369,000 worth of e-vaporisers and components in largest seizure to date

SINGAPORE - In the largest haul of electronic vaporisers to date, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on March 18 seized more than $369,000 worth of e-vaporisers and components. Three men are assisting with HSA investigations, including an individual who is also being probed by police for allegedly possessing several scheduled weapons in his home, said the HSA and the Singapore Police Force in a joint statement on Tuesday (March 23). HSA had acted based on a tip-off. It first arrested two suspects - a 34-year-old and 39-year-old - who turned up at a storage facility in Tuas to purportedly collect several consignments of the prohibited e-vaporisers. HSA officers on the same day raided the Serangoon North home of the third suspect, who is said to be involved in the peddling of the e-vaporisers. E-vaporisers, which simulate smoking, are non-combustible. Each consists of an atomiser, a battery source and a small container for e-liquid or juice. They have been banned in Singapore since Feb 1, 2018. Importing such items, including electronic cigarettes, has also been illegal since Aug 1, 2016. In total, the officers seized 1,157 assorted e-vaporisers and 25,345 assorted e-vaporiser pods from the storage facility and the suspect's home. "This is the largest seizure made by HSA thus far, with an estimated street value of about $369,150," said an HSA spokesman. At the third suspect's home, HSA officers found two knuckledusters and a push dagger. The items were seized and police are investigating the 24-year-old suspect for possessing the scheduled weapons. HSA's disruption of the e-vaporiser peddling syndicate comes in the wake of a rising trend in the sale and use of the banned items. There was an increase in e-vaporiser advertisements last year on a handful of private chat groups, which were growing in size, with more joining the closed chat groups. HSA has been dealing with more e-vaporiser cases over the last few years. Between 2017 and 2018, it handled 1,744 e-vaporiser cases. This grew to 1,930 cases between 2018 and 2019 before spiking to 4,676 cases between 2019 and 2020. Last month, HSA told The Straits Times that from Jan 1, 2018 to Dec 31 last year, it dealt with 9,738 cases involving the illegal importation of e-vaporisers and 196 cases involving the sale of the banned products. Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, it is illegal to import, distribute, sell harmful or imitation tobacco products which include shisha tobacco, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco such as Gutkha, Khaini, Zarda, e-vaporisers and their accessories, HSA said. Knuckledusters and a push dagger were seized from a suspect's home. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE A person found guilty of the offence can be fined up to $10,000, or jailed up to six months or both. A repeat offender can be fined a maximum of $20,000, or imprisoned a maximum of 12 months, or both. The police reminded the public that it is an offence for anyone to possess a scheduled weapon. First-time offenders can face a jail term of up to five years and receive at least six strokes of the cane. More on this topic Related Story Vaping on the rise in S'pore: Harder to thwart illicit trade as e-vaporisers are easier to hide Related Story 20-year-old among 14 charged for selling electronic vaporisers online