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Three Attempts To Smuggle Contraband Cigarettes Through Sea Domain
Within a span of five days, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers detected three attempts to smuggle contraband cigarettes through the Jurong Port Main Gate (JPMG). The contraband cigarettes were found concealed in various consignments. A total of 4,098 cartons of cigarettes were detected from the three cases.
Case 1: Contraband cigarettes found in cabinets and tables
2. On 18 December 2015 at about 12pm, a lorry driven by a 48-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by the ICA officers for checks at JPMG and the consignment was directed to the Jurong Scanning Station (JSS) for radiographic scanning. It was carrying a consignment declared as cabinets and tables. Officers observed anomalies in the scanned images and directed the consignment for further inspection.
3. During the course of checks, our officers detected a total of 1,648 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in the base and side walls of all the cabinets and tables.
Lorry that carried the consignment
Contraband cigarettes concealed at the base of cabinets and tablets
Case 2: Contraband cigarettes found in pallets of paintings, drawings & pastels
4. On 22 December at about 11am, another lorry driven by a 53-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by the ICA officers for checks at JPMG. The consignment was similarly directed to JSS for radiographic scanning. It was carrying a consignment declared as three pallets of painting, drawings and pastels. Officers observed anomalies in the scanned images and directed the consignment for further inspection.
5. The paintings were stacked in three pallets and officers removed the first few paintings and found a hollow space which was filled with contraband cigarettes. A total of 900 cartons of contraband cigarettes were recovered.
900 cartons of contraband cigarettes found in hollow space of wooden frames
900 cartons of contraband cigarettes recovered
Case 3: Contraband cigarettes found in sound proof panels
6. Shortly after the detection of the second case, on 23 December 2015, at about 12.30pm, a lorry driven by a 39-year-old Singaporean had arrived for clearance. The consignment was declared to be sound proof panels. Our officers directed the consignment for checks after anomalies were also found in the scanned images. Upon opening the panels, our officers uncovered 1,550 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
Contraband cigarettes found in wooden panels
7. The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded for the three cases amounted to about S$390,080 and S$35,110. The subjects, contraband cigarettes and vehicles for all cases were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicles used in the commission of such offences are liable to be forfeited.
8. 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
24 DECEMBER 2015
Case 1: Contraband cigarettes found in cabinets and tables
2. On 18 December 2015 at about 12pm, a lorry driven by a 48-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by the ICA officers for checks at JPMG and the consignment was directed to the Jurong Scanning Station (JSS) for radiographic scanning. It was carrying a consignment declared as cabinets and tables. Officers observed anomalies in the scanned images and directed the consignment for further inspection.
3. During the course of checks, our officers detected a total of 1,648 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in the base and side walls of all the cabinets and tables.
Lorry that carried the consignment
Contraband cigarettes concealed at the base of cabinets and tablets
Case 2: Contraband cigarettes found in pallets of paintings, drawings & pastels
4. On 22 December at about 11am, another lorry driven by a 53-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by the ICA officers for checks at JPMG. The consignment was similarly directed to JSS for radiographic scanning. It was carrying a consignment declared as three pallets of painting, drawings and pastels. Officers observed anomalies in the scanned images and directed the consignment for further inspection.
5. The paintings were stacked in three pallets and officers removed the first few paintings and found a hollow space which was filled with contraband cigarettes. A total of 900 cartons of contraband cigarettes were recovered.
900 cartons of contraband cigarettes found in hollow space of wooden frames
900 cartons of contraband cigarettes recovered
Case 3: Contraband cigarettes found in sound proof panels
6. Shortly after the detection of the second case, on 23 December 2015, at about 12.30pm, a lorry driven by a 39-year-old Singaporean had arrived for clearance. The consignment was declared to be sound proof panels. Our officers directed the consignment for checks after anomalies were also found in the scanned images. Upon opening the panels, our officers uncovered 1,550 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
Contraband cigarettes found in wooden panels
7. The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded for the three cases amounted to about S$390,080 and S$35,110. The subjects, contraband cigarettes and vehicles for all cases were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicles used in the commission of such offences are liable to be forfeited.
8. 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
24 DECEMBER 2015