Local news outlets report that some sellers on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Lazada, operating in Singapore, were found to mislabel prohibited items to avoid detection.
One of the items usually masked by sellers is e-vaporizers which have been banned in the region for three years.
The Straits Times tells us that authorities prohibited the selling and using electric vaporizers in 2019 with fears that such devices could act as a gateway for youth to get started on cigarette smoking.
Mislabeled Illegal Products
Worryingly, e-cigarettes are not the only illicit commodities sold on platforms under false labels.
According to the same story from The Straits Times, drug paraphernalia needed to smoke methamphetamine was being sold for $15 in some online marketplaces disguised as a glass straw.
Online stores would classify e-cigarettes as fruit-scented incense burners with up to 800 uses. If customers in Singapore paid an additional US$7.77 on top of the US$19.99 price, they could have it delivered to their homes within a week at the earliest. Another device for smoking marijuana was advertised as a "hydroponic plant vase" and cost $14.93.
CNA reported in July 2021 that thirteen people had been fined between S$3,000 and S$53,500 for selling electronic vaporizers and related components online in Singapore. Two of the 13 were also sentenced to 33 months and 13 weeks in prison for different offenses.
The same report informs us that there are also dealers on social media sites like Instagram, some of whom publish images of the goods they are selling on Instagram stories, which are difficult to track down because they are only accessible for 24 hours.
There are also claims that indicate the presence of Telegram groups, where vendors regularly post messages about their products and related equipment.
E-commerce Sites Responds
E-commerce company Lazada stated that it has a zero-tolerance policy for items prohibited in Singapore being sold on their sites in response to queries about its perspective on the existence of such illicit listings on its website.
According to a Lazada official who talked to the press, merchants who display prohibited items are subject to a range of non-compliance points up to a maximum of 48, which can permanently close their stores.
The penalties mentioned above will be automatically applied to vendors who are found to have drugs and drug-related items up for sale. Media organizations in the area note that most sellers are situated abroad.
Similarly to this, Amazon has a global policy that forbids the sale of drug paraphernalia and e-vaporizers. The previously available banned items had been listed erroneously, allowing them to avoid detection.
An Amazon representative stated, "Third-party sellers are independent businesses and are required to follow all applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies when listing items for sale in our store," adding that violators risk having their accounts deleted.
The authorities also cooperate with these platforms to remove any listings believed to be selling illegal goods.
The Health Sciences Authority removed more than 4,000 online advertisements for illicit tobacco-related items between January and October.
