On 5 September 2014 at about 12.15pm, a male Malaysian driving a Malaysia-registered lorry declared to be transporting a consignment of potato chips was directed by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint for a routine check upon arrival.

 

2.         During the course of inspection, ICA officers discovered a total of 14,519 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden among the consignment of 24 pallets of potato chips. The estimated value of the duty-unpaid cigarettes is about $1.5million. The evaded duty and GST involved amounted to about $1.1million and $100,000 respectively. This is one of the largest detections of contraband cigarettes at Woodlands Checkpoint.

 

3.         The 36-year-old man, the exhibits found and the lorry were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations. The vehicle was subsequently seized. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences are 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.

 

Sealed packages of contraband cigarettes hidden within the consignment






14,519 cartons of contraband cigarettes uncovered among the consignment




IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
6 September 2014