…judging from what smugglers have been hiding in their breakfasts recently. Three days after a Malaysian man was caught at Woodlands checkpoint, a similar case surfaced at Tuas checkpoint.

2 On 11 January at around 0640 hours, a Malaysia-registered motorcycle was stopped by checkpoint officers at Tuas checkpoint for a routine check. In the course of check on the pillion rider’s bag, the officer detected 47 packets of tobacco products wrapped within some roti prata. More packets of tobacco products were found in her bag and shoes. A total of 98 small packets of tobacco products were uncovered.

3 The 44-year-old woman admitted ownership to the cigarettes and claimed that the contraband cigarettes were intended for personal consumption as well as for sale to her colleagues. The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. If found guilty, the offenders could be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved.

4 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 contraband items. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.