HSA Responds to Viral Incident Involving Plainclothes Officers Attempting to Enter a Person’s House

If you’ve been on TikTok, you’d know about a series of viral videos, whereby a person refused to let Health Sciences Authority (HSA) officers into his house as he didn’t believe they were really HSA officers.

The officers were not wearing uniform, or clothes with the HSA logo on them.

@rapperboya UNINVITED GUESTS 🙄 #bodycam #police #hsa #raid #vaping #smoking #fyp #fypsg #tiktoksg #foryou #CapCut #uninvitedguests ♬ original sound – rapperboya

Eventually, the police were called in, and the man let the officers in.

@rapperboya UNINVITED GUESTS PART 2 🙄 #CapCut #police #hsa #raid #bodycam #smoking #vaping #freedom #tiktoksg #fypsg #fyp #foryou #uninvitedguests ♬ original sound – rapperboya

The man also went on a podcast to explain his position.

HSA has now responded to the viral incident.

HSA Responds to Viral Incident Involving Plainclothes Officers Attempting to Enter a Person’s House

The incident, which occurred on 14 November, gained attention after TikTok user “rapperboya” posted six videos about the encounter starting 15 November.

The footage shows two plainclothes enforcement officers presenting their credentials and requesting to search the premises. The resident insisted on seeing a search warrant and refused entry, resulting in a standoff that ended only after police officers arrived and explained the situation.

In response to queries from Lianhe Zaobao on 28 November, an HSA spokesperson clarified that under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, HSA officers have the authority to enter premises without a search warrant to conduct inspections and seize items.

They can also request identification from individuals suspected of possessing or using vapes.

The spokesperson explained that officers often work in plain clothes to avoid drawing attention during surveillance and enforcement activities.

All HSA officers carry authorization cards to verify their identity.

Regarding this specific case, HSA revealed they investigated the residence after receiving reports about the man displaying an vape in his TikTok videos.

When he initially refused to cooperate, HSA sought police assistance to gain entry to his home.

While no vapes were found during the search, the man is currently assisting HSA with investigations concerning his social media posts showing vape use.

HSA also noted that they regularly receive reports about vape use in public spaces and actively monitor social media platforms to take action against users.

Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, the possession, use, or purchase of vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000.