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Largest Sniff Out
He could not resist the temptation to earn a quick buck and accepted the offer of RM2,000 to smuggle tobacco into Singapore using his company bus. As part of the deal, the male Malaysian driver handed over the vehicle to the smuggling syndicate for illegal modification. A secret compartment was built to conceal the tobacco products in the vehicle. The attempt was in vain when officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) thwarted the smugglers’ plans and uncovered the largest haul of tobacco smuggled through the land checkpoints in 2008.
Company bus used to smuggle contraband
2 On 23 September 2008 at about 1840hrs, officers at the Arrival Bus Concourse of Tuas Checkpoint caught a whiff of unusual odour from a Malaysia-registered bus. Suspecting something amiss, the Z-backscatter van was activated to scan the vehicle. True to the officers’ instinct, the scanned image revealed anomalies at the back of the bus.
3 When queried, the 57 year-old Chinese driver denied vehemently that there was anything hidden on the bus. The persistent interrogation of ICA officers finally broke him down and he confessed that tobacco was hidden in a secret compartment at the back of the bus.
From left: Secret compartment at back of bus and contraband uncovered!
4 After an arduous process of dismantling the secret compartment, a total of 108 packs of cut tobacco leaves weighing about 10 kg each were retrieved. The potential customs duty and GST involved on the estimated quantity of 1,080 kg of duty-unpaid tobacco products amount to about $324,000 and $26,500 respectively. This seizure is noteworthy as the quantity detected had exceeded the total seizure of 745 kg of tobacco products (excluding cigarettes) last year.
Total seizure of approximately 1,080 kg of tobacco
5 The case was referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations. 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 bus used in conveying this contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.
6 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.
7 In the first eight months of 2008, there were 2 cases of contraband smuggling involving buses through the land checkpoints. Yet, in just this week alone, ICA officers have busted 3 cases of contraband smuggling using buses, . In all, 786 cartons x 200’s of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 1,080 kg of tobacco were uncovered.
8 With Singapore’s borders as our first line of defence in safeguarding the nation’s security, ICA has to adopt an unwavering stance on contraband smuggling. 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
26 September 2008
Company bus used to smuggle contraband
2 On 23 September 2008 at about 1840hrs, officers at the Arrival Bus Concourse of Tuas Checkpoint caught a whiff of unusual odour from a Malaysia-registered bus. Suspecting something amiss, the Z-backscatter van was activated to scan the vehicle. True to the officers’ instinct, the scanned image revealed anomalies at the back of the bus.
3 When queried, the 57 year-old Chinese driver denied vehemently that there was anything hidden on the bus. The persistent interrogation of ICA officers finally broke him down and he confessed that tobacco was hidden in a secret compartment at the back of the bus.
From left: Secret compartment at back of bus and contraband uncovered!
4 After an arduous process of dismantling the secret compartment, a total of 108 packs of cut tobacco leaves weighing about 10 kg each were retrieved. The potential customs duty and GST involved on the estimated quantity of 1,080 kg of duty-unpaid tobacco products amount to about $324,000 and $26,500 respectively. This seizure is noteworthy as the quantity detected had exceeded the total seizure of 745 kg of tobacco products (excluding cigarettes) last year.
Total seizure of approximately 1,080 kg of tobacco
5 The case was referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations. 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 bus used in conveying this contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.
6 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.
7 In the first eight months of 2008, there were 2 cases of contraband smuggling involving buses through the land checkpoints. Yet, in just this week alone, ICA officers have busted 3 cases of contraband smuggling using buses, . In all, 786 cartons x 200’s of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 1,080 kg of tobacco were uncovered.
8 With Singapore’s borders as our first line of defence in safeguarding the nation’s security, ICA has to adopt an unwavering stance on contraband smuggling. 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
26 September 2008