SINGAPORE: More than 800 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized from an Indonesian-registered vessel last Saturday (Jan 7), according to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
In a news release on Tuesday, ICA said the vessel had been directed for further checks upon arrival at the Singapore Cruise Centre.
During the course of checks, 804 cartons and 43 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed in hidden compartments. The potential duty and Goods and Service Tax (GST) of the cigarettes evaded amounted to about S$75,460 and S$7,100, respectively, said ICA.
(Photo: ICA)
All three crew members – Indonesian men aged 33, 46 and 48 – were handed over to the Singapore Customs, along with the cigarettes.
“We 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,” said ICA. “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.”
