SINGAPORE: A 25-year-old man suspected of smuggling over 9,200 vape pods in a cargo container has been arrested, the authorities said on Tuesday (Sep 30).
The pods were uncovered at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station on Sep 17, the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a joint news release.
ICA officers found the e-vaporiser pods concealed in an inbound cargo container that was targeted for enhanced checks. The consignment was declared as “power bank”.
The case was referred to HSA for further investigations.
The next day, a joint operation by HSA and the police’s Criminal Investigation Department established the identity of the 25-year-old Singaporean man involved with the consignment.
He was subsequently arrested for his suspected involvement in the importation of the e-vaporiser pods, said the authorities.
In addition to the foiled attempt to smuggle vape pods into Singapore, the man was found to be in possession of another 85 vapes and related components.
The total estimated street value of the seized items is over S$51,000 (US$39,500), said the authorities, adding that investigations are ongoing.
