ICA unpleasant? Friend had duty-unpaid cigarettes

ST Online
28 May 2010


WE REFER to Mr Lim Boon Kian's Forum Online letter, "Unpleasant experience at checkpoint" on Monday.

All arriving travellers at the checkpoints are required to make a complete and accurate declaration on dutiable or taxable items. Anyone found to have made a false or incorrect declaration will be referred for further checks.

In the case of Mr Lim's friend, she was found to be in possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes at the arrival green channel at Tuas Checkpoint. As she had committed an offence by making an inaccurate declaration, she was referred to the duty office for further investigation.

There were other travellers in the queue when Mr Lim's friend was brought to the duty office. She was attended to accordingly when it was her turn. After the duty officer completed his investigation and took the appropriate action, Mr Lim's friend was allowed to leave.

We are satisfied that our checkpoint officers had handled the case appropriately in accordance with procedure.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is committed to service excellence without compromising on security. We would like to take this opportunity to remind travellers who have dutiable goods to proceed to the red channel and declare them to the officer on duty.

Chia Hui Keng (Ms)

Head, Public and Internal Communications Branch

Corporate Communications Division

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority



Unpleasant experience at checkpoint

ST Online
24 May 2010


ON MAY 16, my friends and I were driving back to Singapore after a short trip to Kuala Lumpur.

Upon reaching the Tuas Checkpoint at close to midnight, our group of four went through the mandatory checking of luggage for contraband. One of us had forgotten to dispose of a packet of Malaysia-bought cigarettes and was thus made to pay the fine and taxes.

Our initial reaction was to ask the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer what the fine was and how long it would take to make the payment. We had a shock when the staff sergeant raised his voice at us and said he did not know.

We had a near three-hour wait and the duty personnel did not seem to be trying to hasten things up. Each time we asked the officers about the long wait, we were subjected to some unpleasant or rude response.

But at 2.45am, my friend was called to see the officer-in-charge, who apologised for the long wait, explaining that it was due to a system error and manpower shortage. But he said nothing to explain the other officers' hostile attitude.

We finally left at almost 3am. We do understand that it was an offence to bring in contraband items and we accepted that a fine had to be paid. However, it did not warrant the unprofessional attitude nor the three-hour wait.

I hope the level of service can be improved.

Lim Boon Kian