Food may be preserved through the process of smoking by exposing it to the smoke from burning or smoldering wood. However, some cigarette smugglers have improvised on this ancient preservation method by creating a ‘smokescreen’ to divert the attention of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers by packing their ciggie consignment among cartons of frozen fish enroute to Singapore via the Second Link.

2 On 16 December 2008, at about 0200 hrs, ICA officers manning the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) noticed some abnormalities in the image of a consignment of frozen fish and directed the Malaysian-registered refrigerated truck for secondary checks. The consignment, declared as 630 cartons of frozen fish, was driven by a 33-year old male Malaysian, accompanied by two others.


3 In the course of secondary inspection, the officers noticed that the boxes of frozen fish, each weighing about 20kg, had been stacked fully to the top of the truck, making it difficult to un-stuff and check the consignment. Undeterred, the officers removed the first few rows of boxes and discovered some unmarked boxes, packed differently, hidden within the consignment. Suspecting something amiss, they opened the unmarked boxes and found an array of contraband cigarettes hidden within.

4 In all, ICA officers uncovered a total of 71 unmarked boxes stuffed with assorted cartons of cigarettes hidden among the 630 boxes of frozen fish. In the presence of the driver and his two companions, a total of 3,720 cartons, comprising more than 700,000 sticks of assorted cigarettes, were retrieved. The total customs duty and GST payable on the tobacco amounted to $305,000 and $25,600 respectively.

5 When interviewed, the driver and his companions, aged 27 and 29, admitted knowledge of the contraband found. They claimed to have been promised payment if the consignment was successfully delivered to the local syndicate contact.

6 The three subjects, together with the vehicle and seized goods were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigation. Upon conviction by the court, first-time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded. For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be jailed for up to two years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The truck used in conveying the contraband would also be liable for forfeiture.

7 Under the Customs Act as well as the Immigration Act, vehicles used in the smuggling of contraband items or illegal immigrants will be seized and are liable to be forfeited. It is the responsibility of logistics companies and bus owners operating across the borders to ensure that their vehicles are not used for smuggling unlawful goods or persons into Singapore as they would ultimately have to bear the cost of their employees’ wrongdoings.

8 Our borders are our first line of defense 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
16 DECEMBER 2008