HSA’s latest Operation Pangea update is a practical warning for Singapore shoppers who buy health products through social platforms, marketplaces or overseas sellers. During Operation Pangea XVIII, HSA says it removed 959 illegal health-product listings from local e-commerce and social-media platforms, warned 152 sellers and seized 6,641 units at Singapore borders.
The operation ran from 10 to 23 March 2026 and involved 90 countries. HSA’s Singapore findings show how common the risk has become: unregistered contact lenses made up more than 82 per cent of listings removed, while border seizures included prescription medicines, anti-parasitic medicines such as ivermectin and dermal fillers.
What Buyers Should Notice
The most useful point is that ordinary-looking listings can still be illegal or unsafe. Contact lenses are a good example. They may look like a simple beauty or fashion purchase, but HSA treats them as health products because poor-quality lenses can damage the eye, introduce infection or hide the need for proper fitting.
Prescription medicines and injectables are even higher risk. If a listing offers medicine without a proper prescription pathway, unusually cheap prices or overseas fulfilment with vague product details, the buyer is taking on quality, dosage and authenticity risks that are hard to assess from photos.
- Listings removed by HSA: 959.
- Seller warnings issued: 152.
- Units seized at borders: 6,641.
- Major listing category: unregistered contact lenses.
Safer Buying Habits
Buy contact lenses, prescription medicines and aesthetic products only through legitimate channels. For lenses, that means a proper eye-care route. For medicines, it means a doctor, pharmacist or authorised supply chain rather than a casual marketplace seller.
Read HSA’s Operation Pangea XVIII announcement for the official breakdown. For more local health updates, use our Health & Wellness section.
- Avoid sellers promising prescription-only products without medical review.
- Be wary of imported dermal fillers or slimming products sold through chat orders.
- Report suspicious health-product listings to HSA when details look unsafe.
