JOHOR BAHRU: Singaporeans continue to make up majority of the clientele for vape businesses across the border in Johor Bahru, according to shops in the Malaysian city, amid a sweeping clampdown on the electronic devices back home.
One retailer estimated that 95 per cent of its customers were Singaporean.
“Just yesterday I had a Singaporean customer who bought four vapes ... He just brought it back with him,” another shop owner told CNA on Monday, a week after stiffer measures kicked in across the Causeway.
They were among 10 vape businesses CNA spoke to in KSL City Mall, a 10-minute drive from Johor Bahru customs and a popular destination for Singaporeans.
It is also a hub for the sale of vape paraphernalia, as CNA found.
The facade of KSL City Mall at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
Vaping is actually banned in the state of Johor, just as in Singapore. What most of the vape sellers in KSL City Mall have done instead is to hawk bags, wallets, phone accessories and electronics – and in their midst, also display colourful boxes of vaping products.
“Can mix and match the flavours,” said an individual manning a store, as he pointed to a catalogue of titles like mineral water, iced lychee, juicy grape and tieguanyin tea.
Another retailer said disposable vapes were the cheaper and most popular option for Singaporeans.
While most of these businesses operate out of kiosks or booths, standalone vape shops also exist around Johor Bahru, carrying a wider range of products and allowing customers to sample before purchase.
These bigger establishments also take more precautions to attempt to stay discreet.
One had a tinted storefront, and was tucked away behind a carwash. Another had a locked front entrance for staff to control the flow of customers, with its vape section hidden in a backroom shielded by a black curtain.
A shop selling vape at Johor Bahru outside KSL City mall. (File photo: CNA)
CNA has reached out to Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon for comment through his press secretary.
That Singaporeans form a significant customer base for vape shops in Johor Bahru is an ongoing issue, as CNA has previously reported.
Now, with authorities in Singapore ramping up efforts to tackle what they clearly see as a scourge, some retailers up north are taking the initiative to offer tips and advice on how to avoid detection when bringing vapes back across the border.
Others are also aiding their customers by providing nondescript packaging for their purchases, from plain black plastic bags to large white envelopes.
A shop selling vapes and various electronic accessories in KSL City mall. (Photo: CNA)
Yet it's not a case of entirely throwing caution to the wind, with a number of sellers telling CNA they have halted cross-border deliveries of vapes since harsher penalties came in force from Sep 1.
One business owner said some of his couriers now fear the repercussions of being caught at the border.
“My customers all want the goods, but my drivers all dare not go in,” he said. “Last time we used to bring them (vapes) over on motorcycles and cars. Now it’s so strict, no one dares to do it.”
Singapore's stiffer laws on vapes also apply to foreigners entering the country. Those carrying vapes will be fined and have their devices seized.
Repeat offenders will face more severe consequences, which could include being banned from re-entering Singapore.
A store selling vapes at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
CNA still found a handful of retailers willing to keep delivering orders to customers in Singapore, in return for a bigger paycheck.
They said prices of vapes on the black market in Singapore can now be about three times the cost in Johor Bahru. Delivery fees tied to each order have also risen since Sep 1.
Noting more stringent checks at checkpoints, one seller said: “If you want others to bring it across for you ... you will definitely have to pay more, because they are taking a huge risk to bring it in for you.”
Another told CNA she knows of a Malaysian courier who has continued to deliver vapes across the Causeway for around 10 years now.
And a different retailer said it could make same-day deliveries on short notice – because it has ready inventory stocked in Singapore. It said most of its business is done directly through messaging app Telegram.
A store selling vapes, alongside a convenience store and a restaurant at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
As vape prices rise and access is further limited, some users may look for cheaper suppliers who operate further underground, said Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, head of the public safety and security programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
“This is risky because the products are unregulated, the quality is uncertain, and users are drawn closer to networks that also trade in other illicit substances,” she told CNA.
There is also a concern that once individuals are in contact with illegal dealers, they become more exposed to harder drugs.
“For some, the shift from vaping to substances like Kpods can happen out of curiosity, peer influence, or simply because these alternatives are marketed alongside vapes in the same illegal supply chain,” said Assoc Prof Razwana.
Dr Jimmy Lee, member of the National Council Against Drug Abuse's executive committee, said the use of vapes “normalises addictive behaviour, which may increase vulnerability to substance abuse”.
“It is important to continue strengthening awareness and prevention so that the community is empowered to make drug-free choices.”
In Singapore, those found possessing, using or purchasing vapes will be fined S$500 (US$390) if under 18 years old, and S$700 if older.
Recalcitrant users will be required to undergo rehabilitation, and those who do not complete the entire programme will be prosecuted.
Those caught for the third time and more will be prosecuted in court and may be fined up to S$2,000.
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One retailer estimated that 95 per cent of its customers were Singaporean.
“Just yesterday I had a Singaporean customer who bought four vapes ... He just brought it back with him,” another shop owner told CNA on Monday, a week after stiffer measures kicked in across the Causeway.
They were among 10 vape businesses CNA spoke to in KSL City Mall, a 10-minute drive from Johor Bahru customs and a popular destination for Singaporeans.
It is also a hub for the sale of vape paraphernalia, as CNA found.
The facade of KSL City Mall at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
Vaping is actually banned in the state of Johor, just as in Singapore. What most of the vape sellers in KSL City Mall have done instead is to hawk bags, wallets, phone accessories and electronics – and in their midst, also display colourful boxes of vaping products.
“Can mix and match the flavours,” said an individual manning a store, as he pointed to a catalogue of titles like mineral water, iced lychee, juicy grape and tieguanyin tea.
Another retailer said disposable vapes were the cheaper and most popular option for Singaporeans.
While most of these businesses operate out of kiosks or booths, standalone vape shops also exist around Johor Bahru, carrying a wider range of products and allowing customers to sample before purchase.
These bigger establishments also take more precautions to attempt to stay discreet.
One had a tinted storefront, and was tucked away behind a carwash. Another had a locked front entrance for staff to control the flow of customers, with its vape section hidden in a backroom shielded by a black curtain.
A shop selling vape at Johor Bahru outside KSL City mall. (File photo: CNA)
CNA has reached out to Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon for comment through his press secretary.
That Singaporeans form a significant customer base for vape shops in Johor Bahru is an ongoing issue, as CNA has previously reported.
Now, with authorities in Singapore ramping up efforts to tackle what they clearly see as a scourge, some retailers up north are taking the initiative to offer tips and advice on how to avoid detection when bringing vapes back across the border.
Others are also aiding their customers by providing nondescript packaging for their purchases, from plain black plastic bags to large white envelopes.
A shop selling vapes and various electronic accessories in KSL City mall. (Photo: CNA)
Yet it's not a case of entirely throwing caution to the wind, with a number of sellers telling CNA they have halted cross-border deliveries of vapes since harsher penalties came in force from Sep 1.
One business owner said some of his couriers now fear the repercussions of being caught at the border.
“My customers all want the goods, but my drivers all dare not go in,” he said. “Last time we used to bring them (vapes) over on motorcycles and cars. Now it’s so strict, no one dares to do it.”
Singapore's stiffer laws on vapes also apply to foreigners entering the country. Those carrying vapes will be fined and have their devices seized.
Repeat offenders will face more severe consequences, which could include being banned from re-entering Singapore.
A store selling vapes at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
RISKY BUSINESS
CNA still found a handful of retailers willing to keep delivering orders to customers in Singapore, in return for a bigger paycheck.
They said prices of vapes on the black market in Singapore can now be about three times the cost in Johor Bahru. Delivery fees tied to each order have also risen since Sep 1.
Noting more stringent checks at checkpoints, one seller said: “If you want others to bring it across for you ... you will definitely have to pay more, because they are taking a huge risk to bring it in for you.”
Another told CNA she knows of a Malaysian courier who has continued to deliver vapes across the Causeway for around 10 years now.
And a different retailer said it could make same-day deliveries on short notice – because it has ready inventory stocked in Singapore. It said most of its business is done directly through messaging app Telegram.
A store selling vapes, alongside a convenience store and a restaurant at Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA)
As vape prices rise and access is further limited, some users may look for cheaper suppliers who operate further underground, said Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, head of the public safety and security programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
“This is risky because the products are unregulated, the quality is uncertain, and users are drawn closer to networks that also trade in other illicit substances,” she told CNA.
There is also a concern that once individuals are in contact with illegal dealers, they become more exposed to harder drugs.
“For some, the shift from vaping to substances like Kpods can happen out of curiosity, peer influence, or simply because these alternatives are marketed alongside vapes in the same illegal supply chain,” said Assoc Prof Razwana.
Dr Jimmy Lee, member of the National Council Against Drug Abuse's executive committee, said the use of vapes “normalises addictive behaviour, which may increase vulnerability to substance abuse”.
“It is important to continue strengthening awareness and prevention so that the community is empowered to make drug-free choices.”
In Singapore, those found possessing, using or purchasing vapes will be fined S$500 (US$390) if under 18 years old, and S$700 if older.
Recalcitrant users will be required to undergo rehabilitation, and those who do not complete the entire programme will be prosecuted.
Those caught for the third time and more will be prosecuted in court and may be fined up to S$2,000.
Continue reading...