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Security Scan Unmasks ‘Fertile’ Cigarettes
A man’s attempt to smuggle in ‘fertile’ cigarettes proved futile when he was stopped by ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint on 26 Dec 06 at about 1315 hours. With the help of the ICIS radiographic scanner, ICA officers uncovered a total of 1,650 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden among boxes of fertiliser in the smuggler’s lorry.
2 During the radiographic scanning, ICA officers noticed that the contents of the lorry were of varying densities, even though the consignment was declared as fertiliser. Our officers proceeded to conduct a thorough check on the contents of the lorry, and found the 1,650 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in some of the boxes on the lorry. The 33-year-old male Malaysian driver was immediately arrested and the lorry seized. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$116,200 and S$7,400 respectively.
3 The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further 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.
4 ICA will continue to remain vigilant, including and especially during the peak periods, as would-be offenders may take advantage of the peak period to try their luck in bringing unlawful goods into Singapore. 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 will like to advise travellers not to bring in unlawful/prohibited goods into Singapore, as this will inconvenience them and other checkpoint users. A (non-exhaustive) list of controlled and prohibited items can be found on the ICA website at http://www.ica.gov.sg under ‘Travellers Information Guide’.
2 During the radiographic scanning, ICA officers noticed that the contents of the lorry were of varying densities, even though the consignment was declared as fertiliser. Our officers proceeded to conduct a thorough check on the contents of the lorry, and found the 1,650 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in some of the boxes on the lorry. The 33-year-old male Malaysian driver was immediately arrested and the lorry seized. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$116,200 and S$7,400 respectively.
3 The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further 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.
4 ICA will continue to remain vigilant, including and especially during the peak periods, as would-be offenders may take advantage of the peak period to try their luck in bringing unlawful goods into Singapore. 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 will like to advise travellers not to bring in unlawful/prohibited goods into Singapore, as this will inconvenience them and other checkpoint users. A (non-exhaustive) list of controlled and prohibited items can be found on the ICA website at http://www.ica.gov.sg under ‘Travellers Information Guide’.