SINGAPORE: More than S$100,000 worth of contraband cigarettes and chewing tobacco were seized by Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers within a span of eight hours on Wednesday (July 29) and Thursday, said the ICA.
The seized items, from three cases of attempted smuggling at Woodlands Checkpoint and Tuas Checkpoint, totalled 423 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 20,542 sachets of chewing tobacco. The total duty as well as Goods and Services Tax evaded exceeded S$88,000 and S$7,000 respectively, said the ICA.
The first attempt occurred on July 29, at about 11.15pm, at Woodlands Checkpoint. Five boxes containing containing contraband cigarettes and two pails of chewing tobacco — totalling 125 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 2,400 sachets of chewing tobacco — were found hidden in the luggage compartment of an empty Malaysia-registered bus. The bus was driven by a 51-year-old Malaysian man.
In the early morning the next day, a total of 18,142 sachets of chewing tobacco were uncovered from five plastic bundles hidden in the engine compartments of two Malaysia-registered lorries. The lorries were driven to Woodlands Checkpoint by a 47-year-old Malaysian man and a 28-year-old male Malaysian man.
Less than an hour later, at about 6.30am, 298 cartons of contraband cigarettes were found hidden in the modified compartments of a Malaysia-registered car at Tuas Checkpoint. A 32-year-old Malaysian man was driving the car.
The drivers, contraband items and vehicles were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations. The vehicles used are liable to be forfeited. Investigations are ongoing.
