13 former Certis enforcement officers charged over vapes, contraband cigarettes and obstruction of justice

Singapore authorities charged 13 former Certis enforcement officers on 30 January 2026 for a range of offences linked to contraband cigarettes, vapes and obstruction of justice.

The charges were announced in a joint press release by Singapore Customs, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

All 13 accused are Singaporeans and were serving as enforcement officers at the time of the alleged offences, according to the authorities.

Those named are Muhammad Fitri Jaffar, 38; Muhammad Syafiq Tahar, 39; Mohamad Aidil Abu Bakar, 47; Muhamad Hazim Mohamed Jalil, 33; Sufian Mohamed, 45; Muhammad Faddley Abdul Wahid, 38; Chan Wei Ying, Olivia, 39; Mohamed Fiaros Mohamed Zakaria, 43; Muhammad Haziq Khamzah, 31; Muhammad Khairul Izzul Shah Abdul Karim, 38; Nurazmy Yusoff, 33; Reggie Choo Beng Kwang, 32; and Tan Wee Keong, 38.

Alleged misappropriation of seized cigarettes and vapes

Eight of the accused, including Fitri, Syafiq, Aidil, Hazim, Faddley, Chan, Fiaros and Haziq, allegedly misappropriated duty-unpaid cigarettes and prohibited vaping products.

The items comprised cartons and loose packets of cigarettes, vapes and multiple cartons of vape pods, valued at about S$18,327 (US$14,493).

According to the authorities, the alleged misappropriation occurred on separate occasions between 2019 and 2022.

The items had been entrusted to the accused in their official capacity as enforcement officers handling case seizures, the joint statement said.

Fitri, Syafiq, Aidil, Hazim and Haziq were also accused of conspiring with one another on separate occasions to misappropriate the seized items.

Possession of e-vaporisers linked to work-related seizures

Separately, Faddley, Syafiq, Hazim and Aidil were charged with possessing e-vaporisers and related components when they were apprehended by CPIB in 2022.

Authorities said the vaping items were allegedly meant for their personal consumption and formed part of seizures arising from their enforcement duties.

As part of their work, Fitri, Syafiq, Aidil and Faddley were required to dispose of duty-unpaid cigarettes and vapes at HSA disposal bins located at various checkpoints.

They are accused of instead taking the cigarettes intended for disposal and retaining them for personal use.

The contraband cigarettes, which did not comply with Singapore’s standardised packaging requirements, were later found at their respective homes, according to the authorities.

Allegations of receiving stolen property

In addition, Fitri, Syafiq, Aidil, Hazim, Sufian, Faddley, Fiaros, Haziq, Khairul and Nurazmy were accused of dishonestly receiving stolen property.

These offences allegedly took place on separate occasions between 2021 and 2022.

The stolen items included sticks, loose packets and cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, as well as e-vaporiser pods, with a combined value of about S$1,438.

Charges of obstructing CPIB investigations

Four of the accused were also charged with obstructing the course of justice during CPIB investigations in 2022.

On one occasion, Faddley is alleged to have disposed of vapes, vape pods and duty-unpaid cigarettes into a rubbish chute at a Housing and Development Board unit before opening his door to CPIB officers.

Fiaros allegedly deleted a note on his mobile phone containing records of 45 vape pods after learning from Sufian that he was with CPIB officers.

Tan is accused of revealing information about CPIB’s investigations to Choo.

After being advised by Tan, Choo allegedly disposed of at least one vape and three packs of vape pods, and deleted his WhatsApp conversation with Tan.

Possible penalties under multiple laws

Under Section 409 of the Penal Code, those convicted of criminal breach of trust can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined.

A conviction under Section 411 of the Penal Code for dishonestly receiving or retaining stolen property carries a possible jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.

For obstructing the course of justice under Section 204A of the Penal Code, offenders may be fined, imprisoned for up to seven years, or face both penalties.

The possession, use or purchase of e-vaporisers is an offence under Section 16(3)(a) of the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, punishable by a fine of up to S$2,000.

Offences involving duty-unpaid cigarettes under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act carry heavier penalties.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and jailed for up to six years.

Certis responds

A Certis spokesperson told local media that the 13 individuals have not been with the company since their offences were uncovered.

“Certis does not condone such criminal acts and we expect our officers to uphold the highest level of discipline and professionalism,” the spokesperson said.

The company added that it has reviewed and implemented additional control measures to strengthen its processes.

Certis said it would take firm action against any employee who breaches its required standards.