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Fishy Attempt Netted
Who would have guessed that a lorry driver’s smuggling attempt will bear the same ill fate as the fish consignment he was using as a smokescreen, particularly that of a Tilapia fish which is known to have a short-life span? Well, the fishy attempt had not escaped the eagle-eyed Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers!
2 Shortly after midnight on 17 August 2010, a Malaysia-registered lorry conveying live Tilapia fishes was stopped for a routine check at the arrival cargo zone of Tuas Checkpoint. While conducting the preliminary checks, ICA officers manning the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) noticed some anomalies in the scanning images of the consignment and directed the truck for further checks.
3 The ICA officers instructed the male Chinese driver to transfer the live fishes from one tank into another empty tank to facilitate the officers' checks. Once the fishes had been removed, the officers conducting the checks found that the height of the emptied tank was noticeably shorter than the depth of the unfilled fish tank. Braving the profound stench of the fish, the officers lowered their heads into the tanks and peered through the holes of a board at the base of the tank. They spotted some packages wrapped in plastic and suspected it to be a stash of illegal smokes. They quickly pried open the board and what greeted them were cartons of contraband cigarettes. Due to the perishable nature of the consignment, the ICA officers led the lorry to the Jurong Fishery Port to off load the fishes before escorting it back to the checkpoint for a thorough check.
Tank Filled with Fishes
The Transferring Process
The Emptied Tank
Hidden Smokes
4 In all, ICA officers uncovered a total of 1,764 cartons, comprising more than 350,000 sticks of assorted cigarettes, from the modified fish tanks. The potential customs duty and GST payable amounted to S$124,200 and S$11,200 respectively.
Cartons Uncovered
5 During interview, the 34-year-old Malaysian driver admitted knowledge of the contraband. He claimed to have been promised a fee of RM600 by his male Chinese supervisor if the consignment was successfully delivered to Singapore. He had been instructed to load the fish consignment at his workplace in Kota Tinggi and then unload the consignment at Jurong Fishery Port. Thereafter, he was to leave the lorry at a designated carpark in Woodlands Town Park where someone else will pick up the contraband.
6 The driver, together with the vehicle and seized goods were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigation. Upon conviction by the court, first-time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years. For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be jailed for up to two years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The lorry used in conveying the contraband would also be liable for forfeiture.
7. Our borders are our first line of defence 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
18 AUGUST 2010
2 Shortly after midnight on 17 August 2010, a Malaysia-registered lorry conveying live Tilapia fishes was stopped for a routine check at the arrival cargo zone of Tuas Checkpoint. While conducting the preliminary checks, ICA officers manning the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) noticed some anomalies in the scanning images of the consignment and directed the truck for further checks.
3 The ICA officers instructed the male Chinese driver to transfer the live fishes from one tank into another empty tank to facilitate the officers' checks. Once the fishes had been removed, the officers conducting the checks found that the height of the emptied tank was noticeably shorter than the depth of the unfilled fish tank. Braving the profound stench of the fish, the officers lowered their heads into the tanks and peered through the holes of a board at the base of the tank. They spotted some packages wrapped in plastic and suspected it to be a stash of illegal smokes. They quickly pried open the board and what greeted them were cartons of contraband cigarettes. Due to the perishable nature of the consignment, the ICA officers led the lorry to the Jurong Fishery Port to off load the fishes before escorting it back to the checkpoint for a thorough check.
Tank Filled with Fishes
The Transferring Process
The Emptied Tank
Hidden Smokes
4 In all, ICA officers uncovered a total of 1,764 cartons, comprising more than 350,000 sticks of assorted cigarettes, from the modified fish tanks. The potential customs duty and GST payable amounted to S$124,200 and S$11,200 respectively.
Cartons Uncovered
5 During interview, the 34-year-old Malaysian driver admitted knowledge of the contraband. He claimed to have been promised a fee of RM600 by his male Chinese supervisor if the consignment was successfully delivered to Singapore. He had been instructed to load the fish consignment at his workplace in Kota Tinggi and then unload the consignment at Jurong Fishery Port. Thereafter, he was to leave the lorry at a designated carpark in Woodlands Town Park where someone else will pick up the contraband.
6 The driver, together with the vehicle and seized goods were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigation. Upon conviction by the court, first-time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years. For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be jailed for up to two years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The lorry used in conveying the contraband would also be liable for forfeiture.
7. Our borders are our first line of defence 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
18 AUGUST 2010