“Three crates of Paper Shearing Machines” was what a seemingly innocuous 20-feet container was declared to contain when it was subjected to security checks at the Pasir Panjang ports terminal. Nonetheless, the ever vigilant Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers were not bought over by its face value. Indeed, their efforts were paid off handsomely when the shearing machines turned out to be something more than your office equipment.

2. On 6 August 2009 at about 5pm, the ICA officers directed a cargo container for further checks on suspicion that the importer might have under declared the quantity and value of the consignment. When the dubious container was sent to Pasir Panjang scanning station for radiographic scanning, the ICA officers detected bottle-like images in the container. Bottle-shaped shearing machines? Instantly, the officers knew that something was very wrong. What was exactly in the container?

3. The ICA officers then meticulously screened through all the relevant documents to further ascertain their doubts. The consignment was declared as “Paper Shearing Machines” in all the documents. The officers were immediately alerted to the discrepancies between what had been declared and what the officers had seen on the scanning images. Indeed, when the ICA officers opened the first crate, they found cartons of “Gordon’s London Dry Gin”, amongst the assorted brands of hard liquor. The driver was immediately detained.

4. A total of 3,600 bottles of duty unpaid liquor was uncovered from the container. The potential Customs duty and GST payable for the contrabands amount to about S$75,600 and S$9,000 respectively.


  


Crates of ‘Paper Shearing Machines’ turned out to be cartons of duty-unpaid liquor

5. The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations. Upon conviction by the court, first time offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded. For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded or jailed for up to two years, or to both.

6. 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.


IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
19 AUGUST 2009