SINGAPORE: Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) seized 6,454 cartons and 460 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes from a Malaysia-registered truck at Tuas checkpoint on Thursday (Nov 17).
The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to S$555,180.
In a media release on Friday, ICA said the truck was directed for inspection upon its arrival at 9am. It was carrying a consignment declared to contain 20 pallets of paper boxes. Instead, officers found the stash of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden among the boxes.
The truck used to smuggle contraband cigarettes. (Photo: ICA)
The 46-year-old Malaysian man who was driving the truck is under investigation. In such cases, the vehicle is liable to be forfeited.
Contraband cigarettes found among the consignment. (Photo: ICA)
ICA said it will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints “to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands.” It added that “the same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore.”
