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Another Smuggler Smoked Out by ICA Officers
What do you call a car which has many cartons of cigarettes hidden in its various compartments? Cigarettes cigArettes cigaRettes! That is what ICA officers from the Task Force Team at Woodlands discovered when they checked a vehicle coming into Singapore. On 12 Apr 2005 at about 2245 hours, ICA officers signalled a Singapore-registered car for a routine check. The Singaporean driver was visibly nervous when his car was stopped. Our eagle-eyed officers discovered that the rear passenger seat cushion was loose. They proceeded to do a thorough check on the rear passenger seat and found 13 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes under the cushion.
2 But that was not the end of the story. After a thorough check, our officers found duty-unpaid cigarettes in the following compartments of the car:
(a) Inside speaker box at the back of the car - 13 cartons and 9 individual packets of cigarettes. A packet of flavoured chewing tobacco was also found.
(b) Inside spare tyre compartment - two cartons of cigarettes.
(c) Inside two detergent powder packages that had been hollowed - 18 cartons and 50 individual packets of cigarettes.
3 A total of 46 cartons and 59 individual packets of contraband cigarettes were found in the car. The 35-year-old male Indian Singaporean driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized.
4 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for both cases are estimated to be S$3,700 and S$230 respectively. The estimated market value is S$5,700. Both cases have 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. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
13 Apr 2005
2 But that was not the end of the story. After a thorough check, our officers found duty-unpaid cigarettes in the following compartments of the car:
(a) Inside speaker box at the back of the car - 13 cartons and 9 individual packets of cigarettes. A packet of flavoured chewing tobacco was also found.
(b) Inside spare tyre compartment - two cartons of cigarettes.
(c) Inside two detergent powder packages that had been hollowed - 18 cartons and 50 individual packets of cigarettes.
3 A total of 46 cartons and 59 individual packets of contraband cigarettes were found in the car. The 35-year-old male Indian Singaporean driver was immediately placed under arrest and the vehicle seized.
4 The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for both cases are estimated to be S$3,700 and S$230 respectively. The estimated market value is S$5,700. Both cases have 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. We would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
13 Apr 2005