177 people arriving at Changi Airport found with vapes in multi-day operation
The clampdown comes amid enhanced enforcement against vapes at Singapore's border checkpoints.
SINGAPORE: A total of 177 people were found to be in possession of e-vaporisers at Changi Airport in a multi-agency operation in late December, as the authorities step up enforcement at Singapore's border checkpoints.
Sixty-one people were fined for possessing vapes, while the other 116 passengers avoided the penalties as they had declared and disposed of their vapes.
The operations were conducted on Dec 20, Dec 23, Dec 27 and Dec 30 by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
The four-day operation was part of a multi-agency effort to step up enforcement against e-vaporisers in Singapore to "prevent vaping from being entrenched locally", HSA, ICA and the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a news release on Thursday (Jan 4)
"The joint operations were conducted to detect and deter any attempts to bring in e-vaporisers via the airport during the peak travel season."
During the operations, HSA and ICA officers monitored passengers who arrived at Changi Airport’s four terminals. Pull-up banners and digital screens informing passengers about the prohibition of e-vaporisers in Singapore were also displayed at high-traffic areas.
“Passengers were reminded to pass through the Red Channel after baggage collection, to declare their e-vaporisers to the ICA officers,” HSA and ICA said.
“Arriving passengers whose baggage showed anomalies during scanning were subjected to additional checks. Any e-vaporiser found was confiscated and fines were issued on the spot to the passengers who failed to declare them.”
TIGHTER ENFORCEMENT, FUTURE OPERATIONS
In addition to the joint operations at Changi Airport, ICA officers uncovered 25 vapes and related components hidden below the driver’s and passenger’s seats of a Singapore-registered car during a recent enforcement action on Dec 21.
The subjects and the seized exhibits were referred to HSA, the agencies said.
"The operations at the borders are part of an enhanced strategy to enforce against vaping in Singapore."
In December, Singapore authorities announced that they will step up checks at air, land and sea checkpoints in the coming months, starting with Changi Airport.
A total of 1,656 cases related to e-vaporisers were detected last month.
HSA and ICA will be conducting operations at land and sea checkpoints in the coming months.
“Besides passengers arriving in Singapore with e-vaporisers, ICA will continue to conduct security checks and work with relevant authorities to detect and deter smuggling attempts to keep Singapore safe,” they said.
Enforcement against possession and use of e-vaporisers has been stepped up in the community as well, with schools and institutes of higher learning strengthening detection and enforcement actions against vaping.
Other measures include improving the detection and removal of sales and advertisements of e-vaporisers online.
The possession, use or purchase of e-vaporisers carries a maximum fine of S$2,000 (US$1,506).
It is also an offence to import, distribute, sell or offer for sale e-vaporisers and their components. Those convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of up to S$10,000, a jail term of up to six months or both for the first offence.
Offenders convicted for a second or subsequent time may face a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term of up to 12 months or both.
All prohibited tobacco items will also be seized and confiscated.