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No “ware” out
Standing guard at the frontline of the nation’s gateways, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conduct rigorous checks to detect smuggling attempts into Singapore. Despite the varied methods of concealment to outwit the ICA officers, the smugglers failed to trick the vigilant ICA officers as shown in the latest contraband smuggling attempt.
2 On 25 November 2010 at about 8am, a Malaysia-registered bonded truck pulled into the Woodlands Checkpoint. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the innocuous truck carrying a consignment of assorted household wares, health supplements and beauty products into Singapore.
The innocuous truck
3 When the truck was directed for scanning, the observant ICA officer manning the radiographic scanner noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the consignment. He immediately alerted his colleagues to conduct further checks. As the ICA officers meticulously search through the truck, their efforts paid off. Several cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden amongst the consignments. The smugglers had attempted to deceive the sharp senses of the ICA officers by hiding the cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes amongst the consignments.
Truck-load of boxes Contraband found in the consignments
4 Painstakingly, the ICA officers searched through each and every box thoroughly. In all, ICA officers uncovered a total of 6,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes, amounting to 1.2 million sticks of assorted cigarettes. The total customs duty and GST payable on the tobacco amounted to $422,400 and $38,220 respectively.
A total of 6000 boxes of contraband cigarettes found
5 When interviewed, the 51-year-old driver revealed that his boss, a Mr. Tay, had instructed him to collect the consignments from a warehouse in Shah Alam, Malaysia. He was paid RM200 for delivering the consignment to Singapore. His 30 year-old companion was paid RM60 for following the truck into Singapore.
6 Both men, together with the vehicle and seized goods were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigation. For importation of uncustomed goods, upon conviction by the court, first time offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years. For second and subsequent convictions, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and jailed for up to six years. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The vehicle used in conveying the contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.
7 Under the Customs Act as well as the Immigration Act, vehicles used in the smuggling of contraband items or illegal immigrants will be seized and are liable to be forfeited. It is the responsibility of logistics companies and bus owners operating across the borders to ensure that their vehicles are not used for smuggling unlawful goods or persons into Singapore as they would ultimately have to bear the consequences of their employees’ wrongdoings.
8 Our borders are our first line of defense in safeguarding Singapore's security. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’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.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
26 NOVEMBER 2010
2 On 25 November 2010 at about 8am, a Malaysia-registered bonded truck pulled into the Woodlands Checkpoint. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the innocuous truck carrying a consignment of assorted household wares, health supplements and beauty products into Singapore.
The innocuous truck
3 When the truck was directed for scanning, the observant ICA officer manning the radiographic scanner noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the consignment. He immediately alerted his colleagues to conduct further checks. As the ICA officers meticulously search through the truck, their efforts paid off. Several cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden amongst the consignments. The smugglers had attempted to deceive the sharp senses of the ICA officers by hiding the cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes amongst the consignments.
Truck-load of boxes Contraband found in the consignments
4 Painstakingly, the ICA officers searched through each and every box thoroughly. In all, ICA officers uncovered a total of 6,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes, amounting to 1.2 million sticks of assorted cigarettes. The total customs duty and GST payable on the tobacco amounted to $422,400 and $38,220 respectively.
A total of 6000 boxes of contraband cigarettes found
5 When interviewed, the 51-year-old driver revealed that his boss, a Mr. Tay, had instructed him to collect the consignments from a warehouse in Shah Alam, Malaysia. He was paid RM200 for delivering the consignment to Singapore. His 30 year-old companion was paid RM60 for following the truck into Singapore.
6 Both men, together with the vehicle and seized goods were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigation. For importation of uncustomed goods, upon conviction by the court, first time offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years. For second and subsequent convictions, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and jailed for up to six years. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The vehicle used in conveying the contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.
7 Under the Customs Act as well as the Immigration Act, vehicles used in the smuggling of contraband items or illegal immigrants will be seized and are liable to be forfeited. It is the responsibility of logistics companies and bus owners operating across the borders to ensure that their vehicles are not used for smuggling unlawful goods or persons into Singapore as they would ultimately have to bear the consequences of their employees’ wrongdoings.
8 Our borders are our first line of defense in safeguarding Singapore's security. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’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.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
26 NOVEMBER 2010