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More Than 3,650 Cartons Of Contraband Cigarettes Found On Heavy Vehicles At Woodlands Checkpoint
In two days, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers had successfully foiled two attempts to smuggle contraband cigarettes into Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint. More than 3,650 cartons of contraband cigarettes were found on two heavy vehicles.
Case 1: Contraband cigarettes found on a Singapore-registered bus
2. On 29 January 2016 at about 4.10pm, a Singapore-registered bus driven by a 50-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by ICA officers for checks. During the course of inspection, officers found 3,000 cartons of duty unpaid cigarettes hidden in various modified compartments of the bus. The modified compartments were located at the luggage compartment, chassis and staircase of the emergency exit.
Case 2: Contraband cigarettes found on a Malaysia-registered lorry
3. The following day, on 30 January, at about 11.15am, a Malaysia-registered lorry driven by a 24-year-old male Malaysian was directed for further checks as officers observed anomalies in its scanned images. The consignment conveyed was declared to be cartons of chocolates. In the course of checks, officers found 650 cartons and another 100 loose packets of contraband cigarettes hidden in the undercarriage of the lorry.
4. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded for the two cases amounted to about S$288,670 and S$27,410. The two drivers, contraband cigarettes and the vehicles were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicles used in the commission of such offences are liable to be forfeited.
5. 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
1 February 2016
Case 1: Contraband cigarettes found on a Singapore-registered bus
2. On 29 January 2016 at about 4.10pm, a Singapore-registered bus driven by a 50-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by ICA officers for checks. During the course of inspection, officers found 3,000 cartons of duty unpaid cigarettes hidden in various modified compartments of the bus. The modified compartments were located at the luggage compartment, chassis and staircase of the emergency exit.
Case 2: Contraband cigarettes found on a Malaysia-registered lorry
3. The following day, on 30 January, at about 11.15am, a Malaysia-registered lorry driven by a 24-year-old male Malaysian was directed for further checks as officers observed anomalies in its scanned images. The consignment conveyed was declared to be cartons of chocolates. In the course of checks, officers found 650 cartons and another 100 loose packets of contraband cigarettes hidden in the undercarriage of the lorry.
4. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded for the two cases amounted to about S$288,670 and S$27,410. The two drivers, contraband cigarettes and the vehicles were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicles used in the commission of such offences are liable to be forfeited.
5. 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
1 February 2016