Incense burner? Illegal items found on e-commerce platforms deliberately mislabelled as other goods

It was marketed as an incense burner that would give off fruity notes of banana and kiwi, good for at least 800 uses.

Customers in Singapore could get it delivered to their doorstep within a week at the earliest, if they paid an extra US$7.77 (S$10.50) on top of its US$19.99 price.

But people can get into trouble with the law if they purchase it, because the item — actually an electronic vaporiser — is illegal here.

The blanket ban on e-vaporisers here is due to several reasons, which were outlined in a parliamentary written response in 2019. These include their harmful effects on health, as well as the possibility of it acting as a gateway for youth to get started on cigarette smoking.

The Sunday Times found that some sellers on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Lazada deliberately mislabelled prohibited items, including e-vaporisers and drug paraphernalia, in an attempt to evade detection.

In one case, a tool used to smoke methamphetamine was described as a glass straw, retailing for US$15.60.

Another tool used to smoke cannabis was labelled as a “hydroponic plant vase” and sold for $14.93.

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After Lazada was alerted to the sale of drug paraphernalia on its platform, a spokesman for the e-commerce company said: “Lazada has a zero-tolerance policy for prohibited items in Singapore.

“We work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure illicit items are not sold on the platform, and continually update our algorithms to weed out and disable listings that are against our marketplace policy for sellers.”

According to its policy, sellers who display prohibited items incur a varying number of non-compliance points, up to a maximum of 48, which results in their stores getting deactivated permanently.

This penalty is immediately meted out to those who put drugs or drug paraphernalia on sale, with The Sunday Times observing the majority of sellers to be based overseas.

Similarly, Amazon has a universal policy that prohibits the sale of e-vaporisers and drug paraphernalia. The prohibited items that were previously available had been incorrectly listed, which allowed them to evade detection.

“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,” said a spokesman, who added that sellers could get their accounts removed if found violating its policies.

The authorities also work with these platforms to take down any listings suspected of peddling prohibited items.

Between January and October, the Health Sciences Authority took down more than 4,000 online postings of illegal tobacco-related products.

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The previous year, it took down more than 6,800 postings, and destroyed about $1.85 million worth of e-vaporisers and related products, which it had seized in raids and enforcement operations.

The Sunday Times understands that the Central Narcotics Bureau frequently liaises with e-commerce platforms to remove listings of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

The authorities also work closely with courier firms to curb the importation of such goods here.

Despite efforts to prevent such items from being sold here, people in Singapore continue to get their hands on them, with e-vaporisers becoming increasingly common.

In 2021, 4,697 people were caught using and possessing such items, up from 1,266 in the previous year.

As at August this year, 3,912 people have been caught.

Those found using, buying or possessing such products are liable to a fine of $2,000 – a reminder that the authorities conveyed to parents and students ahead of the school holidays through an advisory sent on the Parents Gateway app that facilitates communication between parents and schools.

A similar advisory was also sent out to remind students to stay away from crimes, including drug and inhalant abuse.

Parents, too, need to take a more active role in monitoring their children, said Mr Muhammad Nizam Uddin Miazee, a father of three children aged between 13 and 18.

In his household, the computer is placed in the living room, and his children use it only after completing their homework and revision for the day.

“The Internet is a very useful tool no doubt, but you need to know how to use it appropriately. You need to set boundaries for your children, so their curiosity doesn’t get the better of them,” said the 47-year-old, who runs his own electrical appliance business.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.