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ICA Foiled Attempt to Smuggle 5,000 Cartons of Contraband Cigarettes
No matter how ingenious you are in trying to smuggle contraband into Singapore, ICA officers will always be there at the checkpoints to foil your attempts. On 19 May 06 at around 0940 hours, ICA officers using the radiographic scanner caught a Malaysian man for trying to smuggle 5000 cartons of contraband cigarettes through Woodlands Checkpoint. How the contraband cigarettes were hidden was interesting. About 15 empty cardboard boxes were flattened and strapped together to make a bundle. A box containing 50 cartons of contraband cigarettes would then be hidden in a hole specially cut out in the bundle of cardboard boxes. However, the smuggler’s efforts were in vain, as the radiographic scanner was able to ‘expose’ the hidden cigarettes.
2 The Malaysia-registered bonded truck was singled out at Woodlands Checkpoint for a thorough check after a radiographic scan had been done on the contents of the truck. ICA officers observed that the gamma-ray image of the vehicle was not consistent with the consignment that was declared as 1500 pieces of empty cardboard boxes. Our officers proceeded to conduct a physical check on the contents of the truck. Our officers untied and check one of the bundles of empty cardboard boxes and found another smaller box containing contraband cigarettes hidden inside the bundle. The 31-year-old male Malaysian driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized. A total of 5000 cartons x 200 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden on the truck.
3 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$352,000 and S$22,500 respectively. 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 Being the guardian of Singapore’s checkpoints, ICA is acutely aware that our borders are the first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore’s security against possible terrorist attacks. The increased security checks at all our checkpoints are critical to our nation’s security, especially since terrorism remains a clear and present threat to Singapore. ICA now conducts 100 per cent checks on persons, cargo and conveyances that pass through our checkpoints. These enhanced security checks have been effective in helping to detect cases of smuggling illegal goods and illegal immigrants. In 2005, about 1,600 immigration offenders were arrested at the checkpoints either trying to enter or leave Singapore illegally. ICA also detected about 17,000 cases of contraband-smuggling cases in 2005. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods and persons into and out of Singapore.
2 The Malaysia-registered bonded truck was singled out at Woodlands Checkpoint for a thorough check after a radiographic scan had been done on the contents of the truck. ICA officers observed that the gamma-ray image of the vehicle was not consistent with the consignment that was declared as 1500 pieces of empty cardboard boxes. Our officers proceeded to conduct a physical check on the contents of the truck. Our officers untied and check one of the bundles of empty cardboard boxes and found another smaller box containing contraband cigarettes hidden inside the bundle. The 31-year-old male Malaysian driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized. A total of 5000 cartons x 200 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden on the truck.
3 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$352,000 and S$22,500 respectively. 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 Being the guardian of Singapore’s checkpoints, ICA is acutely aware that our borders are the first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore’s security against possible terrorist attacks. The increased security checks at all our checkpoints are critical to our nation’s security, especially since terrorism remains a clear and present threat to Singapore. ICA now conducts 100 per cent checks on persons, cargo and conveyances that pass through our checkpoints. These enhanced security checks have been effective in helping to detect cases of smuggling illegal goods and illegal immigrants. In 2005, about 1,600 immigration offenders were arrested at the checkpoints either trying to enter or leave Singapore illegally. ICA also detected about 17,000 cases of contraband-smuggling cases in 2005. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods and persons into and out of Singapore.