300,000 vapes seized in Malaysia, shipment believed bound for Singapore

The containers, declared as furniture, arrived from China and were opened on July 30. Inside, officers found boxes wrapped in green polythene bags, a packaging trick long associated with smuggling syndicates. The devices, branded "Salthub," carried no health warnings required under Malaysian law.

Authorities believe smugglers intended to move the vapes by road into Singapore, where demand has surged despite an outright ban, Asia One reported.

A source familiar with the case said "several online platforms" in Singapore have been promoting the brand, The Straits Times reported.

The seizure comes as Singapore intensifies its crackdown on vaping. Between January 2024 and March 2025, the Health Sciences Authority confiscated S$41 million (US$31.8 million) worth of e-vaporisers, nearly five times the total seized from 2019 to 2023. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, 19 major smuggling cases were detected at air, land and sea checkpoints.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said it is using data analytics, scanners and handheld devices to uncover contraband, while deploying more officers to border controls.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong underscored the government’s stance in his Aug. 17 National Day Rally speech, pledging stiffer penalties and treating vaping as a drug issue.

From Sept. 1, anyone caught possessing or using vapes in Singapore will face higher fines: S$500 for those under 18 and S$700 for adults. Repeat offenders may be ordered into rehabilitation. Sellers of vapes laced with synthetic drugs face harsher penalties under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Malaysia has also stepped up enforcement at its ports. In recent years, customs officers have seized not just vapes but also tonnes of methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine hidden in shipping containers.

Port Klang, one of Southeast Asia’s busiest hubs, has emerged as a key transit point for both illicit drugs and e-vaporisers moving through the region, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).