On 10 October 2017 at about 6am, an officer from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) directed an arriving Malaysia-registered lorry, driven by a 47-year-old male Malaysian, for further checks at the Woodlands Checkpoint.

2.       During the course of checks, ICA officers found 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed among the consignment, declared to contain assorted vegetables. The driver, duty-unpaid cigarettes and lorry were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

3.       The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about S$498,192 and S$36,744 respectively.

4.        Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The ICA will continue to conduct 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 attacks in Singapore.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
11 OCTOBER 2017 

PHOTOS

A total of 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. (Photo: ICA)

Duty-unpaid cigarettes found concealed among the consignment declared as assorted vegetables. (Photo: ICA)