Two Mercedes-Benz - same colour, same make, each driven by a lone middle-aged Singaporean male from across the causeway. Both men returned through the Woodlands Checkpoint on the same day, only a few hours apart. This scenario might predispose one to assume that it was a mere coincidence. After all, it was a common sight that commuters travel alone in luxury saloon cars. But for the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers, the uncanny coincidence certainly did not go unnoticed.

2. On 12 Oct 2009 at about 5.15pm, a Singapore-registered Mercedes-Benz pulled into the Woodlands Checkpoint and drove towards the arrival car Green Channel after immigration clearance. The man was alone and behaved somewhat uneasily when the ICA officer talked to him. The officer decided to direct the saloon car for further checks. When checking the back passenger seats, the officers realised that they could not lift the backseat of the car. Alerts went up as the experienced officers were all too familiar with the schematics of different car models and makes.

3. Upon closer scrutiny, officers found that the rear backrest had been bolted in a way that was almost impossible for anyone to lift the backseat. An ingenious method of concealment but he could not outwit the ICA officers. Further checks led to the discovery of a modified fuel tank where a total of 520 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were hidden. The potential customs duty and GST payable amount to S$3,700 and S$330 respectively.

4. The 49-year old man admitted knowledge of the exhibits found. He claimed that he was unemployed and in dire need of money. He had met “Ah Leng”, a Singaporean man in Geylang who asked that he helped to smuggle the cigarettes from Malaysia to Singapore. It was also “Ah Leng” who got his car modified and fitted with a special compartment in the fuel tank. Upon successful delivery of the contrabands, the man was to be paid S$200. The man, together with the contraband cigarettes and the car were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

5. The ICA officers did not let their guards down and remained vigilant in their duty even as they were wrapping up the case. Barely two hours later, at about 7.50pm, they were ‘greeted’ by another lone Singaporean male in his Mercedes Benz. Coincidence or otherwise, the officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint did not leave anything that could possibly compromise the safety and security of our borders to chance – not at all.

6. It did not take long before the officers detected the same modus operandi used by the man to conceal contraband cigarettes. They were also hidden in a modified fuel tank and the rear backrest bolted. Officers found a total of 466 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes. The potential customs duty and GST payable amount to S$3,340 and S$300 respectively.

7. The 39-year old man admitted knowledge of the exhibits found. He had met “Ah Weng”, a Malaysian man who told him to drive the car to Johor Bahru for loading of the cigarettes. “Ah Weng” also modified the car’s fuel tank and fitted it with a special compartment to hold the contraband. Thereafter, the man was to drive the car to the Woodlands Town Centre carpark and wait for “Ah Weng”’s call for further delivery instructions. Upon successful delivery of the contrabands, the man will be paid S$200. The man, together with the contraband cigarettes and the car were also handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

8. 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 vehicles 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, cargoes and conveyances 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 more sinister attacks in Singapore.


IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
16 OCTOBER 2009 
 


1st car


1st car - exhibits


1st car - modified compartment


2nd car


2nd car - exhibits


2nd car - modified compartment