Three Singaporeans and one Indonesian were charged in the State Courts on 11 June 2015 for their involvement in contraband cigarette activities.  The three Singaporean men – Muhammad Khairul Anwar Bin Abdul Hadi, 30; Zulkiflee Bin Wari, 40; Ramdan Bin Tengalim, 48 – and the Indonesian man Haidir, 37, were arrested on 10 June 2015 by Singapore Customs officers.  A total of 2,999 cartons and 7 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to over $309,000.

 

2          Singapore Customs and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) collaborated to conduct checks on a consignment of 30 bed headboards that arrived at the Seletar Airport on 9 June 2015. The checks revealed duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the specially modified headboards.

 

3          Singapore Customs officers kept a close watch as the consignment of headboards was transported in a bonded truck to a warehouse at Loyang Crescent. At about 10pm, they spotted the truck leaving the warehouse.  The officers trailed the truck to an HDB block at Pasir Ris Street 21, where they saw Muhammad Khairul, Zulkiflee and two other Singaporean men disposing of the headboards at a refuse collection centre nearby. The Singapore Customs officers moved in and arrested the four men. The bonded truck was also seized.  Investigations revealed that the duty-unpaid cigarettes had been retrieved from the headboards in the warehouse earlier.

 

4          Singapore Customs officers then raided the warehouse and arrested Ramdan, Haidir and another Singaporean man who were packing the cigarettes into boxes. A total of 2,999 cartons and 7 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, which had been retrieved from the headboards, were seized and the three men were arrested.  Court proceedings are underway for Muhammad Khairul, Zulkiflee, Ramdan and Haidir. Investigations are ongoing for the other three suspects.

5          Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. Offenders will be severely dealt with. They can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years.  The minimum court fine for first-time and repeat offenders of tobacco-related offences are $2,000 and $4,000 respectively. Repeat offenders who are caught with more than two kilogrammes of tobacco products will also face mandatory imprisonment. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences are also liable to be forfeited.

6          Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of customs duty or GST can contact the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-2330000 or email [email protected]

SINGAPORE CUSTOMS

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

16 JUNE 2015


ANNEX (Photos : Singapore Customs)

Duty-unpaid cigarettes were hidden in the hollow spaces within the modified bed headboards.


The duty-unpaid cigarettes were retrieved from the modified bed headboards and packed into boxes in the warehouse at Loyang Crescent.