ICA: More than 900 vaporisers and 9,000 pods found hidden in lorry cabin at Tuas Checkpoint

SINGAPORE: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Tuas Checkpoint have seized more than 900 vaporisers and over 9,000 vaporiser pods hidden in the cabin resting area of a Malaysia-registered lorry on August 8, 2026. This was one of the larger vaporiser hauls at Singapore’s land checkpoints in recent months.

The lorry was directed for enhanced checks, leading to the discovery of the contraband concealed within the cabin’s sleeping compartment.

The 46-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested in connection with the case and referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.

ICA’s post was published on Facebook on August 20, 2026.

Netizens react

The seizure drew a mix of praise for ICA and frustration directed at the parties behind such smuggling attempts.

One commenter raised a point that surfaces periodically in these discussions: “Please ban this company. They really make it hard for others. It’s the company that takes the orders, [and] the drivers have to bear the consequences.”

Another expressed exhaustion and exasperation at the recurring nature of such cases: “I’m tired of you doing this kind of work again.”

Others kept their responses focused on the outcome. “Well done ICA officers,” one wrote simply.

Another noted the apparent futility of continued attempts: “Still they keep testing the border checks.”

At more than 900 vaporisers and 9,000 pods, this seizure is significantly larger than most individual vaporiser busts at Singapore’s land checkpoints, which have typically involved dozens to low hundreds of units. The use of a lorry’s cabin resting area, which is a compartment designed for driver rest on long hauls, as a concealment space shows the kind of ingenuity smugglers apply to avoiding detection.

Consequently, there must be a corresponding need for thorough enhanced checks by the ICA beyond the cargo hold.

Read also: Two days, two motorcycles: ICA foils back-to-back smuggling attempts at Woodlands