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Woodlands Checkpoint Gets Smoky
It gets hazy these few days at Woodlands Checkpoint. Travellers passing through the Checkpoint may not have sensed the hazy or smoky atmosphere there but the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers were certainly kept very busy fighting the smokes. We have not heard anything from the meterological station regarding a haze, so what’s causing the hazy, smoky atmosphere? Get ready to investigate the cause as we uncovered a series of smoky cases at our busiest land checkpoint!
Smoky Case 1: 3,999 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
2. On 5 September 2011 at about 1.45am, a Malaysia-registered truck which was declared to be conveying a consignment of assorted second-hand trousers and shirts had arrived at the Woodlands Checkpoint for arrival clearance. The ICA officers directed the truck for a routine inspection and spotted some anomalies in the scanned images of the goods. Suspecting that the consignment could consist more than trousers and shirts, the officers directed the truck to the inspection bay for more thorough checks.
3. The inspection revealed brown boxes with labels that said textile or garment. However, when they opened up the boxes, they were greeted with rows of contraband cigarettes packed neatly in the boxes. A total of 3,999 cartons of contraband cigarettes were seized from this consignment.
Where are the pants and shirts?
Smoky Case 2: 130 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
4. Shortly after, at about 6am, the vigilant ICA officers discovered contraband cigarettes again in a Malaysia-registered saloon car. The driver, accompanied by two passengers was entering Singapore via the busy Checkpoint. In the course of routine checks, the alert officers suspected something was amiss when they noticed sponge-like material in the air con vents and conducted a thorough check. The officers’ sharp instincts paid off when they uncovered a total of 130 cartons of contraband cigarettes concealed in various parts of the vehicle.
Contraband cigarettes concealed in the modified fuel tank and dashboard
Smoky Case 3: 896 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
5. Smokes did not get into the eyes of our hawk-eyed officers despite the two earlier contraband cases detected within a day. Our officers remain resolute and effective at keeping smugglers at bay. On the following day, 6 September 2011 at about 3am, an innocuous-looking Malaysia-registered truck pulled into Woodlands Checkpoint seeking the usual arrival clearance. The truck was declared to be carrying a consignment of blue empty drum barrels but our alert and experienced officers suspected otherwise when they spotted anomalies in the scanned images. The truck was directed for further inspection.
Were the drum barrels really empty?
Illegal smokes seized
6. Within a short span of two days, the ICA had detected a total of 5,025 cartons of contraband cigarettes. Five males aged between 21 to 47 years old were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigation. The potential duty and GST involved for all three cases amounted to about $353,760 and $32,009 respectively.
7. 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 and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. For every packet of illegal cigarettes, buyers may face a composition sum of at least $500.
8. Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. We have tightened our 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 more sinister attacks in Singapore. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’s security.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
7 SEPTEMBER 2011
Smoky Case 1: 3,999 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
2. On 5 September 2011 at about 1.45am, a Malaysia-registered truck which was declared to be conveying a consignment of assorted second-hand trousers and shirts had arrived at the Woodlands Checkpoint for arrival clearance. The ICA officers directed the truck for a routine inspection and spotted some anomalies in the scanned images of the goods. Suspecting that the consignment could consist more than trousers and shirts, the officers directed the truck to the inspection bay for more thorough checks.
3. The inspection revealed brown boxes with labels that said textile or garment. However, when they opened up the boxes, they were greeted with rows of contraband cigarettes packed neatly in the boxes. A total of 3,999 cartons of contraband cigarettes were seized from this consignment.
Where are the pants and shirts?
Smoky Case 2: 130 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
4. Shortly after, at about 6am, the vigilant ICA officers discovered contraband cigarettes again in a Malaysia-registered saloon car. The driver, accompanied by two passengers was entering Singapore via the busy Checkpoint. In the course of routine checks, the alert officers suspected something was amiss when they noticed sponge-like material in the air con vents and conducted a thorough check. The officers’ sharp instincts paid off when they uncovered a total of 130 cartons of contraband cigarettes concealed in various parts of the vehicle.
Contraband cigarettes concealed in the modified fuel tank and dashboard
Smoky Case 3: 896 cartons of contraband cigarettes detected
5. Smokes did not get into the eyes of our hawk-eyed officers despite the two earlier contraband cases detected within a day. Our officers remain resolute and effective at keeping smugglers at bay. On the following day, 6 September 2011 at about 3am, an innocuous-looking Malaysia-registered truck pulled into Woodlands Checkpoint seeking the usual arrival clearance. The truck was declared to be carrying a consignment of blue empty drum barrels but our alert and experienced officers suspected otherwise when they spotted anomalies in the scanned images. The truck was directed for further inspection.
Were the drum barrels really empty?
Illegal smokes seized
6. Within a short span of two days, the ICA had detected a total of 5,025 cartons of contraband cigarettes. Five males aged between 21 to 47 years old were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigation. The potential duty and GST involved for all three cases amounted to about $353,760 and $32,009 respectively.
7. 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 and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. For every packet of illegal cigarettes, buyers may face a composition sum of at least $500.
8. Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. We have tightened our 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 more sinister attacks in Singapore. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’s security.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
7 SEPTEMBER 2011