On 17 August 2016, at about 6.10am, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint directed an arriving Malaysia-registered truck conveying a 40-footer container for further inspection. The truck was carrying a consignment declared to contain about 1,600 cartons of assorted vegetables.

2.   During the course of the inspection, officers found 1,750 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within the boxes of assorted vegetables. The 42-year-old male Malaysian driver, the contraband cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

3.   The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax amounted to about S$135,800 and S$13,670 respectively.

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 in 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
18 AUGUST 2016

 

  
Photo 1: Truck used in the
commission of the offence

 Photo 2: Boxes of
“assorted vegetables”

   

 

 

 

 

Photo 3: Contraband cigarettes hidden within consignment of “assorted vegetables”


Photo 4: Contraband cigarettes recovered from the vehicle