On 28 September 2020, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers detected two cases of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in Malaysia-registered lorries at the Tuas Checkpoint. A total of 7,559 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within cargo consignments was uncovered.

2.        The first case was detected at around 4.00am when ICA officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the Malaysia-registered lorry. Upon further checks, 5,059 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in a consignment of tissue rolls. 

3.        About 10 minutes later, another Malaysia-registered lorry was directed by ICA officers for further checks. 2,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in boxes containing pineapples.

4.         The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $656,299 and $52,981 respectively. Three male Malaysians aged 22, 25 and 41 years old, have been handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigations.

5.         Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains ICA’s top priority. The same methods of concealment may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore. ICA will continue to conduct security checks on people, goods and conveyances at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands across our borders.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
1 OCTOBER 2020

Photos: ICA

First lorry carrying duty-unpaid cigarettes detected at Tuas Checkpoint.
Duty-unpaid cigarettes found hidden in the consignment of tissue rolls.
Second lorry carrying duty-unpaid cigarettes detected at Tuas Checkpoint.
Duty-unpaid cigarettes found hidden in the consignment of pineapples.
A total of 7,559 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes uncovered.