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There is No Smoke With Fire
A cigarette smuggler may want to dispute the adage that there is 'no smoke without fire' after his attempt to smuggle contraband cigarettes through Woodlands checkpoint was stopped (i.e. no smoke) by vigilant ICA officers with fire in their bellies.
2 On 3 Aug 2005 at about 1735 hours, the 24-year-old Malaysian man drove into Singapore through Woodlands checkpoint in a yellow Malaysian registered car. Our ever-alert officers stopped his car for a routine check and discovered that the covers for the rear door panels of the car were loose. They proceeded to do a thorough check on the car and detected a total of 46 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in two of the door panels of the car.
3 The driver was immediately placed under arrest and his car seized. He revealed that he was promised RM$300 if he was successful in smuggling the cigarettes into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$3,250 and S$200 respectively. The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. If found guilty, the offenders could be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved.
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. In the first six months of this year, we have detected more than 2,800 cases of contraband and illegal goods being imported into Singapore. The cases include offensive weapons, duty-unpaid cigarettes, obscene VCDs as well as endangered species in wild fauna and flora. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
4 Aug 2005
2 On 3 Aug 2005 at about 1735 hours, the 24-year-old Malaysian man drove into Singapore through Woodlands checkpoint in a yellow Malaysian registered car. Our ever-alert officers stopped his car for a routine check and discovered that the covers for the rear door panels of the car were loose. They proceeded to do a thorough check on the car and detected a total of 46 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in two of the door panels of the car.
3 The driver was immediately placed under arrest and his car seized. He revealed that he was promised RM$300 if he was successful in smuggling the cigarettes into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved is estimated to be S$3,250 and S$200 respectively. The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. If found guilty, the offenders could be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved.
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. In the first six months of this year, we have detected more than 2,800 cases of contraband and illegal goods being imported into Singapore. The cases include offensive weapons, duty-unpaid cigarettes, obscene VCDs as well as endangered species in wild fauna and flora. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
4 Aug 2005