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Smugglers, You Lose When You Play Scavenger Hunt With ICA
Smugglers have found out that they cannot win in scavenger hunts with ICA. Their attempts to play the ‘find-my-hidden-cigarettes’ game always end with them losing their contraband items, their vehicles and sometimes their freedom (i.e. given custodial sentence). In three separate incidents over the weekend, ICA officers uncovered a total of 330 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden in secret compartments in the smugglers’ cars.
Case 1 – Secret compartment beneath the floorboard
2 On 13 April 2006 at about 1630 hours, a Singapore-registered multi-purpose vehicle was stopped by an ICA officer for a routine check at Woodlands checkpoint. The 43-year-old male driver appeared nervous as the officer checked the vehicle. Smelling a rat, the officer did a thorough check with his colleagues on the vehicle. Their efforts paid off when they detected a secret compartment underneath the floorboard of the vehicle. A total of 205 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were retrieved from the secret compartment. The Singaporean man admitted to the ownership of the cigarettes.
Case 2 – Speaker in the car boot and car panels
3 A Malaysia-registered car was stopped for a routine check when it entered Singapore through Woodlands checkpoint on 14 April 2006 at 1835 hours. In the course of the search, the alert checkpoint officer found two cartons of contraband cigarettes in the speaker in the car boot. A thorough check was conducted and two more cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden in the car panels. The 20-year-old Malaysian driver admitted ownership of the cigarettes.
Case 3 – Secret compartments in boot and bonnet
4 On 15 April 2006 at 2010 hours, officers deployed at Woodlands checkpoint conducted a search on a Malaysia-registered car at Arrival Car Green Channel. In the course of the check, he detected cartons of cigarettes hidden in the secret compartments of the car. The driver, a 23-year-old Malaysian man who is unemployed, claimed that he was promised RM500 to deliver the contraband cigarettes into Singapore.
5 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for these three cases are estimated to be S$23,000 and S$2,000 respectively. The cases were 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.
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 contraband items.
7 Together with the secret compartment case detected on 13 April 2006, we have detected four cases where contraband items were hidden in secret compartments in four days. We will continue to press ahead with our efforts to clamp down on smuggling. 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.
Case 1 – Secret compartment beneath the floorboard
2 On 13 April 2006 at about 1630 hours, a Singapore-registered multi-purpose vehicle was stopped by an ICA officer for a routine check at Woodlands checkpoint. The 43-year-old male driver appeared nervous as the officer checked the vehicle. Smelling a rat, the officer did a thorough check with his colleagues on the vehicle. Their efforts paid off when they detected a secret compartment underneath the floorboard of the vehicle. A total of 205 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were retrieved from the secret compartment. The Singaporean man admitted to the ownership of the cigarettes.
Case 2 – Speaker in the car boot and car panels
3 A Malaysia-registered car was stopped for a routine check when it entered Singapore through Woodlands checkpoint on 14 April 2006 at 1835 hours. In the course of the search, the alert checkpoint officer found two cartons of contraband cigarettes in the speaker in the car boot. A thorough check was conducted and two more cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden in the car panels. The 20-year-old Malaysian driver admitted ownership of the cigarettes.
Case 3 – Secret compartments in boot and bonnet
4 On 15 April 2006 at 2010 hours, officers deployed at Woodlands checkpoint conducted a search on a Malaysia-registered car at Arrival Car Green Channel. In the course of the check, he detected cartons of cigarettes hidden in the secret compartments of the car. The driver, a 23-year-old Malaysian man who is unemployed, claimed that he was promised RM500 to deliver the contraband cigarettes into Singapore.
5 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for these three cases are estimated to be S$23,000 and S$2,000 respectively. The cases were 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.
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 contraband items.
7 Together with the secret compartment case detected on 13 April 2006, we have detected four cases where contraband items were hidden in secret compartments in four days. We will continue to press ahead with our efforts to clamp down on smuggling. 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.