Over a week, five cases of contraband cigarettes smuggling within consignments imported via air had been foiled by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers. The same method of concealment could similarly be used to smuggle dangerous materials such as weapons or explosives into Singapore.

 

Three cases of contraband cigarettes detected at Changi Airfreight Centre

 

2.         On 17 July 2015 at about 8.10am, a lorry driven by a 28-year-old male Chinese was directed for further checks upon arrival at the Changi Airfreight Centre (CAC). The lorry was delivering 6 boxes of consignments declared to be air filters. Upon further checks, a total of 300 cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden within the air filters.

  

       Air filters where the contraband cigarettes were hidden

 

3.         The following day, 18 July 2015 at about 7.20am, a lorry driven by a 56-year-old male Singaporean accompanied by another 58-year-old male Singaporean was directed for further checks upon arrival. The lorry was similarly delivering 16 boxes of air filters. ICA officers uncovered a total of 800 cartons of contraband cigarettes within the boxes of air filters.

 

 

 

 

 

Boxes of air filters which contained the contraband cigarettes

 

4.         On the same day, shortly after two hours, at about 9.20am, ICA officers uncovered 300 cartons of contraband cigarettes from another arriving lorry that was also delivering air filters. The lorry was driven by a 38-year-old male Singaporean.

 

  
       
From left: Contraband cigarettes hidden within the boxes of air filters and the exhibits uncovered

 

Two cases of contraband cigarettes detected at Air Cargo Express Hub

5.         ICA officers at the Air Cargo Express (ACE) hub similarly detected another two cases of contraband cigarettes in consignments imported via air. On 22 July 2015 at about 9.15am, ICA officers conducted routine checks on packages going through the ACE hub where a total of 1,200 cartons of contraband cigarettes were uncovered from 22 packages that were declared to contain clothings.

 

Cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden within clothings

 

6.         The following day, 23 July 2015 at about 9.00am, ICA officers uncovered another 300 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in 4 packages that were declared as “Sanitary Towels Tampons Napkins Liners”.

 

Cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in boxes declared as “Sanitary Towels Tampons Napkins Liners”

 

7.         A total of 2,900 cartons were seized from the five cases. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about S$246,500.  All persons, exhibits and vehicles for the five cases were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations. The vehicles used in the commission of such offences are liable to be forfeited. Investigations are ongoing.

 

8.         Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security.  We 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.  

 
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

24 JULY 2015