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Getting Down and Dirty
The reality of life is that sometimes, we just gotta do whatever it takes to get the job done. Occasionally, this includes getting down and dirty…
On a misty Monday morning
2. Our officers will never forget that it happened on a bus on a misty Monday morning, on 27 August 2007.
‘Floorplay’ at Woodlands Checkpoint
3. It was a Malaysian-registered bus, which arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint at around 6.20am. The driver appeared nervous, which aroused our officers’… suspicions. And so, further checks were conducted on the bus. Around ten minutes later, the loot was found inside a modified compartment hidden under the floorboard. All in all, 800 cartons and 559 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were uncovered. The total market value is estimated to be around S$77,000, and Customs duties and GST involved are estimated to be about S$60,300 and S$5,400 respectively. When interviewed, the driver, a 39-year-old Malaysian male, admitted ownership of the cigarettes. He claimed that upon successful delivery, he would be paid a sum of RM$1,000.
4. The case has been handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.
Related penalties
5. 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.
Security at our checkpoints
6. As our country's first line of defence against terrorist threats, ICA has a duty to ensure the security and safety of Singapore. 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 contraband. 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. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
On a misty Monday morning
2. Our officers will never forget that it happened on a bus on a misty Monday morning, on 27 August 2007.
‘Floorplay’ at Woodlands Checkpoint
3. It was a Malaysian-registered bus, which arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint at around 6.20am. The driver appeared nervous, which aroused our officers’… suspicions. And so, further checks were conducted on the bus. Around ten minutes later, the loot was found inside a modified compartment hidden under the floorboard. All in all, 800 cartons and 559 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were uncovered. The total market value is estimated to be around S$77,000, and Customs duties and GST involved are estimated to be about S$60,300 and S$5,400 respectively. When interviewed, the driver, a 39-year-old Malaysian male, admitted ownership of the cigarettes. He claimed that upon successful delivery, he would be paid a sum of RM$1,000.
4. The case has been handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.
Related penalties
5. 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.
Security at our checkpoints
6. As our country's first line of defence against terrorist threats, ICA has a duty to ensure the security and safety of Singapore. 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 contraband. 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. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.