Singapore is stepping up enforcement at its land, sea, and air checkpoints to prevent e-cigarettes from entering the country. Over the past five days, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) cracked 184 cases, seizing more than 850 e-cigarettes and related accessories.
From Monday to Friday (18th to 22nd), Singapore's Immigration Authority intensified inspections of travelers and vehicles at various borders.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, a reporter was invited on the 22nd to Tuas Checkpoint and Changi Airport for an exclusive look at how checkpoint officers detect and seize contraband. Prominent posters prohibiting e-cigarettes and collection bins are already placed at all major checkpoints; if travelers voluntarily surrender their e-cigarettes, authorities will generally only issue a warning without imposing a fine.
After travelers collect their checked luggage at Changi Airport Terminal 1 (T1), ICA officers conduct random inspections. Before passing through security, travelers are first asked if they are carrying any e-cigarettes. Contraband items carried or concealed in travelers' luggage cannot escape detection by radiation imaging and X-ray scanning machines.
In about an hour of enforcement operation, the reporter witnessed ICA officers confiscate seven e-cigarettes and three packs of cigarettes, believed to be possessed by foreign travelers.
Among them, a couple, after being questioned by ICA officers, the male produced three e-cigarettes from his pocket and the female's handbag. As they were first-time offenders and surrendered the items voluntarily, the officers only issued a verbal warning, disposed of the e-cigarettes, and let them go.
At Tuas Checkpoint, ICA officers strictly monitored the bus hall, car lanes, and motorcycle lanes, first verbally asking travelers if they were carrying e-cigarettes, then conducting detailed inspections.
According to a half-hour observation, two travelers at the bus hall voluntarily surrendered an e-cigarette and a pack of cigarettes respectively.
During the enforcement operation over the past five days, the ICA also seized other contraband items, including over 2,400 packets of chewing tobacco, as well as more than 53,000 sticks and 3,900 packs of duty-unpaid cigarettes.