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Towing the 'Cigs' of (Great) Worth
Two Indonesian seamen had tried to smuggle 1,179 cartons of contraband cigarettes and tobacco products into Singapore by hiding the goods inside a barge towed by a tugboat. However, their dreams of barging into the next income bracket were dashed when vigilant ICA officers detected the contraband after a search on the barge and tugboat.
2 On 22 Mar 2006 at about 1350 hours, ICA officers intercepted and boarded a tugboat that had arrived from Indonesia. The boat was towing a barge laden with sand into Singapore. Our officers conducted a check on the six Indonesian crew and their tugboat but did not find anything incriminating. Our officers left no stones unturned, and proceeded to search the barge. Their efforts paid off when they opened the cover of a manhole on the barge and found 14 dangling packages tied to a ladder. These packages contained 669 cartons of contraband cigarettes. Our officers found more boxes of contraband cigarettes and tobacco products in another manhole on the barge. A total of 1169 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 10 cartons of shag tobacco were found on the barge.
3 Upon questioning, two of the sea crew, aged 29 and 34, admitted to ownership of the contraband found. Preliminary investigation revealed that the two men were approached to smuggle the contraband into Singapore and were promised half of the total profits if they had successfully smuggled the contraband into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$90,800 and S$5,700 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 2 years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded.
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 other contraband. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
2 On 22 Mar 2006 at about 1350 hours, ICA officers intercepted and boarded a tugboat that had arrived from Indonesia. The boat was towing a barge laden with sand into Singapore. Our officers conducted a check on the six Indonesian crew and their tugboat but did not find anything incriminating. Our officers left no stones unturned, and proceeded to search the barge. Their efforts paid off when they opened the cover of a manhole on the barge and found 14 dangling packages tied to a ladder. These packages contained 669 cartons of contraband cigarettes. Our officers found more boxes of contraband cigarettes and tobacco products in another manhole on the barge. A total of 1169 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 10 cartons of shag tobacco were found on the barge.
3 Upon questioning, two of the sea crew, aged 29 and 34, admitted to ownership of the contraband found. Preliminary investigation revealed that the two men were approached to smuggle the contraband into Singapore and were promised half of the total profits if they had successfully smuggled the contraband into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$90,800 and S$5,700 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 2 years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded.
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 other contraband. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.