Malaysian man's attempt to smuggle 1,200 vapes while travelling with wife and children foiled by ICA


PUBLISHED ONFebruary 04, 2026 1:30 AMBYSean LerA 33-year-old Malaysian man's apparent hopes of hiding his crime under the guise of a 'perfect family' were dashed by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Woodlands Checkpoint on Jan 28.
In a video posted to its Facebook page on Tuesday (Feb 3) night, ICA said that at the time of the offence, the man’s 33-year-old wife and three children, aged between 3 and 8, were with him in the Malaysia-registered car.
ICA added that its search and examination officers found boxes containing e-vaporisers in the car’s boot and proceeded to direct the vehicle for enhanced checks where they found 1,200 e-vaporisers and related components.
The 33-year-old Malaysian man has been arrested and the case referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.
Under the enhanced penalties introduced on Sept 1 last year, those convicted of importing vapes into Singapore will face a jail term of up to six months, a maximum fine of $10,000, or both, for their first offence.
Need support around vaping or addiction?
To report vaping offences: Contact Health Sciences Authority’s Tobacco Regulation Branch at 6684-2036 / 6684-2037 (9am to 9pm daily) or https://www.go.gov.sg/reportvape
To quit vaping: Contact Health Promotion Board’s I Quit programme at 1800-438-2000 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) or https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/iquit/e-cig/
For more addiction or substance abuse support:
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