On 14 February 2015 at about 6.15am, in a joint operation with the Singapore Customs, a Malaysia-registered bus driven by a 33-year-old male Malaysian was directed for further checks by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers upon arrival at the Tuas Checkpoint.

 

2.         During the course of checks, ICA officers uncovered 1,205 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 135kg of chewing tobacco concealed within the modified compartments of the bus.

3.        The duty and GST of the duty unpaid cigarettes and chewing tobacco amounted to about S$133,820 and S$11,820 respectively. The driver, the seized exhibits and the bus were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations. The vehicle used on the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

4.        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. 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

16 February 2015

     

 

 

<ICA photo 1> Contraband cigarettes hidden in modified compartment

 

 

<ICA photo 2> Contraband cigarettes and chewing tobacco hidden in modified compartment divider

<ICA photo 3> Total exhibits seized by ICA officers