On 10 June 2014 at about 2.30pm, a male Malaysian driving a Malaysia-registered lorry declared to be transporting "Metal Stamping Parts" was stopped by officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for routine checks upon arrival at Woodlands Checkpoint.

2.         During the course of inspection, ICA officers found a sealed package of contraband cigarettes stacked within the consignments. Further inspections uncovered a total of 3,340 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden amongst the consignments at the rear of the lorry. The estimated value of the duty-unpaid cigarettes is about $350,000. The evaded duty and GST involved amounted to about $250,000 and $24,000 respectively.

3.         Officers from the Singapore Customs were immediately alerted of the detection. The 24-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.

Sealed packages of contraband cigarettes hidden within the Consignment

3,340 cartons of contraband cigarettes seized

 

4.         Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the 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.

 

5.         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
11 JUNE 2014