Singapore authorities detected 59 large-scale vape smuggling cases in 2025 and removed more than 10,000 online advertisements selling vapes over the past two years, as enforcement agencies step up efforts to disrupt cross-border supply chains.
The figures were cited by Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam in Parliament on Tuesday, February 3, in response to a question from Jackson Lam (Nee Soon GRC) on how the Ministry of Health (MOH) works with overseas platforms and foreign jurisdictions to curb the illegal vape trade.
Rahayu said the major smuggling cases were uncovered through joint efforts by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
About 230,000 vapes and related accessories were seized in 2025 alone. In addition to physical enforcement, HSA has been working closely with e-commerce, social media and messaging platforms to remove online listings advertising vape products.
Addressing Lam’s query on the origins of such listings, Rahayu said about 99% of the removed posts were linked to overseas-based content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WeChat, YouTube and Telegram. The remaining listings were found on local platforms including Carousell and Lazada.
“We will continue to look at how to improve our efforts in enforcement, but we are not without levers,” she said, as quoted by The Straits Times, adding that HSA carries out daily surveillance of commercial sites. This includes the use of automated tools, or bots, to scan online platforms for illegal listings that can be flagged and taken down. HSA also acts on information received from members of the public and partner agencies.
Once offending listings are removed, HSA works with the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Singapore Police Force’s Online Criminal Harms Act Office to block specific commercial sites selling vapes.
Rahayu stressed that enforcement is only one part of a broader strategy. “It is not just about enforcement, but also about educating the public and encouraging people to understand and report these sites,” she said.
Earlier, MOH and HSA said that in the last four months of 2025, 3,534 people were caught and fined for owning or using vapes.
Of these, 3,168 were vape offenders, while 366 were found to have abused Kpods – vapes laced with the anaesthetic agent etomidate. These enforcement operations followed the introduction of tougher anti-vape measures on September 1, including stiffer penalties for suppliers, distributors and users, as well as mandatory rehabilitation for vape and etomidate abusers.
Despite Singapore’s strict laws, sellers in Johor have previously told The Straits Times that they have regular customers from Singapore. Vape syndicates are known to smuggle products into the Republic via land routes, concealing them in cargo transported by trailers, vans, motorcycles and cars.
Under the law, those convicted of importing, distributing or selling vapes face a fine of up to S$10,000, up to six months’ jail, or both, for a first offence. Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$20,000, jailed for up to a year, or both.
Members of the public with information on illegal vape advertising, importation, distribution, sale or possession can report it to HSA through its online reporting form or contact the Tobacco Regulation Branch.
Those who wish to quit vaping can also seek help through the QuitVape programme or call the Health Promotion Board’s QuitLine, with authorities stressing that individuals who voluntarily come forward will not face penalties or have an offence record.
