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Duty to the Nation
This is not a clarion call to all able-bodied men to take up arms to defend the country. There is a place and time for that. The purpose of this news release is to warn everyone to pay their (custom) duties on dutiable goods and not try to smuggle them into Singapore through ICA's checkpoints. Two cigarette smugglers found out how vigilant our officers are when they were caught in separate incidents trying to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes through Woodlands Checkpoint.
2 On 12 Jan 05 at 0545 hours, a Malaysian car coming into Singapore was stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint for a routine check. Our eagle-eyed officers discovered that the car's door panels were loose. They proceeded to do a thorough check on the car and detected 52 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the car's door panels. While this was taking place, another Malaysian registered car was also coming through the checkpoint at 0550 hours. The driver was visibly nervous when our officers stopped his car for a routine check. This raised the suspicions of our officers and a thorough search was conducted on his vehicle. We found 151 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden inside the engine, the door panels and the boot of his car.
3 Both drivers were immediately placed under arrest and their vehicles seized. The driver who came in first at 0545 hours is a 30-year-old Malaysian Chinese man. He revealed that he had owed RM$5,000 to a loanshark and was told to smuggle the cigarettes in to pay off his debts. The second driver, a 20-year-old Malaysian Chinese man was promised RM$400 if he was successful in smuggling the cigarettes into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for both cases are estimated to be S$12,000 and S$800 respectively. 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. In the first eleven months of last year, we have detected more than 17,000 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
12 Jan 2005
2 On 12 Jan 05 at 0545 hours, a Malaysian car coming into Singapore was stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint for a routine check. Our eagle-eyed officers discovered that the car's door panels were loose. They proceeded to do a thorough check on the car and detected 52 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the car's door panels. While this was taking place, another Malaysian registered car was also coming through the checkpoint at 0550 hours. The driver was visibly nervous when our officers stopped his car for a routine check. This raised the suspicions of our officers and a thorough search was conducted on his vehicle. We found 151 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden inside the engine, the door panels and the boot of his car.
3 Both drivers were immediately placed under arrest and their vehicles seized. The driver who came in first at 0545 hours is a 30-year-old Malaysian Chinese man. He revealed that he had owed RM$5,000 to a loanshark and was told to smuggle the cigarettes in to pay off his debts. The second driver, a 20-year-old Malaysian Chinese man was promised RM$400 if he was successful in smuggling the cigarettes into Singapore. The total amount of customs duties and Goods & Services Tax involved for both cases are estimated to be S$12,000 and S$800 respectively. 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. In the first eleven months of last year, we have detected more than 17,000 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
12 Jan 2005