On 15 September 2016, at about 5.20am, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Woodlands Checkpoint directed an arriving Malaysia-registered lorry, driven by a lone male, for further inspection. The truck was carrying a consignment declared to contain about 3.7 tonnes of thermalrock.

 

2.         During the course of the inspection, the officers found 7,149 cartons and 1,421 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within the consignment. The 41-year-old Malaysian driver, the contraband cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

 

3.         The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax of the duty-unpaid cigarettes amounted to about S$576,960 and S$57,650 respectively. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

 

4.         Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle 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.

 

 

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

16 SEPTEMBER 2016


ICA Photos

Photo 1: Lorry conveying the consignment


Photo 2: Officers conducting checks on the consignments


Photo 3: Close-up of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized


Photo 4: Over 7,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized