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6,500 Cartons Of Contraband Cigarettes Found On A 40-Footer Bowser At Tuas Checkpoint
On 2 June 2016, at about 8.35 pm, officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) directed a Malaysia-registered truck with a 40-footer bitumen bowser for checks at the Tuas checkpoint, after noticing anomalies in the scanned image of the bowser. The truck was driven by a lone 37-year-old male Malaysian.
2. On opening the latch of the bowser, the officers found 6,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in a modified compartment at the rear end of the bowser tank. The subject, contraband cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.
3. The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about S$504,400 and S$50,778 respectively.
4. Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. 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.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
3 JUNE 2016
2. On opening the latch of the bowser, the officers found 6,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in a modified compartment at the rear end of the bowser tank. The subject, contraband cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.
3. The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about S$504,400 and S$50,778 respectively.
4. Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. 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.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
3 JUNE 2016
Photo 1: Truck used in the commission of offence
Photo 2: Opening on top of bowser tank
Photo 3: Bags of contraband cigarettes found inside bowser tank
Photo 4: Total contraband cigarettes seized