The peaceful and quiet dawn at the Tuas Checkpoint was rudely disrupted by a loud crash. The driver of the prime mover had apparently knocked into a pillar and the impact of the collision was so huge that the metal cladding of the pillar was damaged and dislodged. And this was just the prelude to a more exciting case waiting to be unfolded, part by part.

2. On Friday, 5 February at about 5.40am, a Malaysian-registered prime mover arrived at the Tuas Checkpoint with a declared consignment of plastic storage containers. The lone Malay driver was directed by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers to the Arrival Cargo Zone for physical inspection after a routine scan showed that there were anomalies in the images. Unfortunately for the Malaysian driver, the wrong turn he took not only caused the commotion when he rammed right into a pillar but also, unfolded the drama thereafter. The accident damaged the external structure of a pillar and the police was called in to investigate the accident.

3. Preliminary investigation found that the 47-year old Malay man does not have the required class of license to handle the prime mover. Acknowledging that he had caused damage to the government’s property, he was subsequently referred to the police for follow up investigation. His company was then contacted to send a relief driver to take over the vehicle.



The prime mover that was used to convey the duty-unpaid cigarettes



The damage as a result of the collision

4. The sequel of the drama resumed later in the afternoon with the arrival of the replacement driver and an assistant. Both men were asked to witness the inspection of the truck. The ICA officers along with the Singapore Customs (SC) officers began unloading the boxes of plastic storage containers from the truck. The first few rows of boxes indeed contained the declared cargo but as the officers searched further, duty-unpaid cigarettes were found to be hidden in the same look alike boxes that were meticulously hidden within the declared cargo. Despite their carefully executed plan, the tactic still failed to outsmart the ever-vigilant officers.

5. After hours of unloading all the boxes from the 40-footer truck, the officers found a grand total of 8,349 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes. The potential customs duty and GST payable for the contraband cigarettes amount to S$587,800 and S$53,200 respectively. The exhibits and truck were handed over to the SC for further investigations.



Boxes of the declared goods meticulously stacked up to surround the contrabands



Total exhibits seized: A whopping 8,349 cartons of cigarettes worth more than half a million in potential customs duty!

6. Both Malaysian drivers claimed that they were engaged by a “Mr Foo”, also a Malaysian, to deliver the goods as the driver had gotten into an accident. “Mr Foo” had also arranged for a car outside the Tuas Checkpoint to lead them to the delivery venue, as they were unfamiliar with the roads in Singapore. Each of them would be paid $200 ringgit when they return to Malaysia. They are currently assisting the SC in its investigation.

7. Perhaps, the three men’s fate were already twisted and sealed right from the moment the driver took a wrong turn. That one turn into the wrong direction had proven to be too costly for them. But for the ICA officers, it was certainly a fruitful turn of events as they discovered one of the biggest hauls of contraband cigarettes in the recent years.

8. 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 or 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.

9. 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
9 FEBRUARY 2010