The Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has prosecuted 14 people for selling e-cigarettes and related accessories online. According to a release from the HSA, the individuals were convicted in court between June and August 2020, with the total fines amounting to $255,500.
Authorities say the offenders were aged between 20 and 43, and had purchased the vaping products from overseas suppliers and then sold them illegally on various local social media and e-commerce platforms.
“These cases were detected through HSA’s cyber-surveillance and enforcement activities, which are targeted at deterring the illegal import and sale of e-vaporisers and related accessories in Singapore. More than $50,000 worth of e-vaporisers and related accessories were seized from the peddlers,” the release states. “The youngest offender, aged 20, was sentenced to a 15-month supervised probation, while the rest were fined between $5,500 – $47,500.
From 2018 to date, HSA has prosecuted 35 persons for selling e-cigarettes and related accessories. The stiffest penalty meted out so far was $99,000 in 2019, the release states.