As the days wind closer to the Chinese New Year celebrations, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) sure have their work cut out for them at the borders. After uncovering an attempt to smuggle bak kwa into the country last week, ICA officers later put an end to two separate endeavors by Singaporeans attempting to bring in some literal pop and crackle to the revelry this long weekend.
On Feb 10, a driver of a Singapore-registered car tried to pass through Tuas Checkpoint with five boxes of Pop Pop whiz-bangers hidden under the front passenger seat. You know what those are — the lil ‘splodeys that make an explosive crack when you throw them onto a hard surface. The bang snaps were pretty common here before they were banned sometime in the ‘90s (exact date unclear), and the cops promptly seized the boxes of Pop Pop from the car.
Two days later, ICA officers uncovered a stash of illegal products that are way more hazardous than Pop Pop whiz-bangers. Thirty-nine strips of firecrackers (banned since 1972 under the Dangerous Fireworks Act) were seized from the boot of another Singapore-registered car — a heavier offence that has resulted in the 37-year-old driver being referred to the police for investigation.
In lieu of firecrackers, may we suggest to those who still want to replicate the Lunar New Year noisemaking custom that they can actually use bubble-wrap instead? Behold.
