Sports cars are known for their performance and speed. However, smugglers must think twice if they assume that they can ‘outperform’ Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers by using fast and high-powered engine sports cars. ICA officers will not hesitate to stop them in their tracks firmly and resolutely.

 

2.         On 5 July 2013 at about 5.30am, a Malaysia-registered sports car driven by a 26-year-old male Malaysian, was stopped for checks upon arrival at Woodlands Checkpoint.

 

 

 

 Sports car used to smuggle contraband cigarettes

3.         In the course of their checks, ICA officers uncovered contraband cigarettes hidden in the rear speaker compartment of the car when they spotted items inside the said compartment through a tiny hole.   

 

 

Contraband cigarettes found in rear speaker compartment 

4.         A total of 100 cartons of contraband cigarettes were detected. The total potential Customs duty and GST payable of the cigarettes are estimated to be about $7,700. The driver, together with the illegal stash and seized car were handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigations.   

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 GST Act. Offenders will be severely dealt with. Repeat offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. The vehicle used in conveying the contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.

 

6.         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

5 JULY 2013