Man who sold illegal vaporisers online fined record $99,000
For illegally selling electronic vaporisers online, a Singaporean man was fined $99,000 - the stiffest penalty ever imposed for the illegal sale of such devices.
Previously, the most an offender had been fined was $64,500, in 2014.
Yesterday, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said Chong Weisheng had illegally purchased the prohibited products from various overseas suppliers to sell on e-commerce website huntersbrew.net.
Chong, 35, illegally operated a local online business where he advertised and sold electronic vaporisers - battery-operated devices such as e-cigarettes and e-pipes that deliver vaporised nicotine.
According to HSA, Chong had sold 200 of the devices.
HSA said that on detecting the illegal activity through online surveillance , its inspectors raided Chong's flat in Gangsa Road in March 2015.
It was part of HSA's ongoing efforts to deter the illegal peddling of electronic vaporisers in Singapore.
Chong took precautions to hide his illegal activities after learning of HSA's raids, including changing the website domain name twice to avoid detection, password protecting the website, and covering up all sales transactions as "computer IT services".
HSA said it is an offence to sell, possess for sale, import or distribute electronic vaporisers. Any person who is convicted is liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000, imprisonment up to six months or both for the first offence, and to a fine not exceeding $20,000, imprisonment up to 12 months or both, for subsequent offences.
In addition, since Feb 1 last year, it is also an offence to possess, purchase or use electronic vaporisers. The penalty is a fine not exceeding $2,000.
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