HSA seized over 1 million illegal health products worth more than $750k in 2025; cough syrups, sex drugs most common

Over 1.06 million units of illegal health products were seized by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in 2025, the authority said on Tuesday (March 24).

This number is an increase of about 10 per cent compared to 2024, where HSA confiscated around 970,700 units.

A majority of the illegal health products seized were cough syrups at 59 per cent, followed by sexual enhancement medicines at 19 per cent. Sedatives and painkillers were the third most common products seized at 17 per cent. 

The products were worth over $750,000 in based on their estimated street value.

Aside from seizure of health products, the authority also found 2,358 online listings of illegal health products sold on local e-commerce and social media platforms in 2025, down from 12,474 in 2023 and 7,190 in 2024.

HSA credited the decline to its increased surveillance and the utilisation of technology such as automated bots.

A mix of e-commerce and social media platforms were used to conduct sales of these products, with Shopee, Lazada and TikTok being the top three platforms with the highest number of such listings.

"HSA continues to collaborate closely with the administrators of e-commerce sites and social media platforms to take down listings of illegal health products and issue warnings to offenders," the authority commented.

HSA added that it issued 1,372 warnings to individual sellers of illegal health products.

Hair and skin products, antibiotic/antifungal/antiviral products, nasal aspirator/nebuliser, diagnostic kits, and contact lenses were the most common product listings removed in 2025.

Although sexual enhancement medicines were one of the most frequently removed products in 2023, this saw a sharp decline from 32 per cent of listings in 2023 to just two per cent in 2025.

Contact lens listings saw a decrease in listing removals from 24 per cent in 2024 to eight per cent in 2025.

Sale and supply of illegal health products: 18 people prosecuted

HSA also prosecuted 18 individuals for the sale and supply of illegal health products in 2025, including a 41-year-old who was sentenced to 11 months' jail in Singapore's first conviction involving the sale and supply of etomidate powder.

HSA chief executive officer and adjunct professor Raymond Chua said that HSA has continually enhanced capabilities in surveillance and enforcement to curb the sale and distribution of illegal health products in Singapore.

"The feedback we get from members of the public on such products also help to ensure timely action against them," he added.

"However, we would also like to remind everyone that such products can in fact harm one's health, and consumers should not buy them from unreliable or unauthorised sources."

An individual may face jail for up to two years and a fine of up to $50,000 if convicted of importing, manufacturing or supplying illegal health products.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com