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More Than 3,000 Cartons Of Duty-Unpaid Cigarettes Found Hidden In Prime Mover And Bus At Tuas Checkpoint
Within a span of three days, on 12 and 14 October 2019, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers uncovered more than 3,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in an arriving Malaysia-registered prime mover and bus at Tuas Checkpoint. In both cases, ICA officers had noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the vehicles and directed them for further checks.
2. In the first case detected on 12 October at about 9.50am, a total of 925 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed in the modified compartment underneath the floorboard of the Malaysia-registered bus. The bus was driven by a 28-year-old male Malaysian and was ferrying several passengers into Singapore.
3. In the second case detected on 14 October at about 1.40am, 2,278 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in the modified roof compartment of an empty container. The prime mover was driven by a 29-year-old Malaysian man.
4. Both drivers were immediately placed under arrest and the cases were handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigation. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the two cases amounted to a total of about $291,470 and $21,400 respectively. Both drivers have been charged in court.
5. Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains ICA’s top priority. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore. ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers, cargos and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands across our borders.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
16 OCTOBER 2019
2. In the first case detected on 12 October at about 9.50am, a total of 925 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed in the modified compartment underneath the floorboard of the Malaysia-registered bus. The bus was driven by a 28-year-old male Malaysian and was ferrying several passengers into Singapore.
3. In the second case detected on 14 October at about 1.40am, 2,278 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in the modified roof compartment of an empty container. The prime mover was driven by a 29-year-old Malaysian man.
4. Both drivers were immediately placed under arrest and the cases were handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigation. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the two cases amounted to a total of about $291,470 and $21,400 respectively. Both drivers have been charged in court.
5. Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains ICA’s top priority. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore. ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers, cargos and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands across our borders.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
16 OCTOBER 2019
Photos
Duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in a Malaysia-registered bus. (Photo: ICA)
Duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in the modified compartment underneath the floorboard. (Photo: ICA)
925 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized. (Photo: ICA)
Duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in a Malaysia-registered prime mover conveying an empty container. (Photo: ICA)
Duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within the modified roof compartment of a container. (Photo: ICA)
2,278 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within the modified roof compartment of a container. (Photo: ICA)