SINGAPORE – A 35-year-old man has been fined $99,000, the highest amount in the past five years, by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for selling electronic vaporisers.

HSA said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 9) that it prosecuted Chong Weisheng on the same day for operating an online business in which he advertised and sold e-vaporisers.

Its inspectors raided Chong’s flat at Gangsa Road in March 2015.

Chong’s fine is the highest penalty imposed for the sale of e-vaporisers since 2014, when an offender was fined $64,500.

Twenty people have been prosecuted for selling e-vaporisers, which include e-cigarettes and e-cigars, in the past five years.

E-vaporisers are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid called “vape juice”, which contains nicotine, to produce a vapour that is inhaled.

HSA’s investigations showed that Chong had illegally purchased e-vaporisers from various overseas suppliers to sell them on the website huntersbrew.net

He had come across news of HSA’s raids on e-vaporiser peddlers and tried to hide his illegal activities, changing the website domain name twice to avoid detection.

The third website required its users to have a password to access it.

All sale transactions were titled “computer IT services” as a cover-up.

In its statement, HSA reminded members of the public that it is an offence to sell, import or distribute e-vaporisers.

Anyone found guilty of doing so can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to one year, or both.

Since Feb 1, 2018, it is also illegal to possess, purchase or use e-vaporisers. Offenders can be fined up to $2,000.

If members of the public have information on the illegal importation, distribution or sale of e-vaporisers, they can call HSA’s Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037, or e-mail HSA at [email protected]

For information about e-vaporisers, visit the authority’s website.

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