SINGAPORE: A director of a logistics company has been sentenced to 40 months’ jail and fined S$8.7 million for dealing with and storing duty-unpaid cigarettes.
Iskandar Abu Bakar, a repeat offender, pleaded guilty to two charges while another two charges were taken into consideration, said Singapore Customs in a press release on Wednesday (Jan 17).
The 44-year-old was previously sentenced to 12 months’ jail on Jun 23, 2008 for dealing with 500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, said Singapore Customs.
Iskandar was arrested again on Jul 6, 2017 during an operation at the Changi Airfreight Centre (CAC) by Singapore Custom officers.
The officers had inspected a consignment of two wooden crates that had been declared as “machinery parts and accessories” and meant to be sent to Iskandar’s logistics company. They uncovered 3,050 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes instead.
Investigations revealed that Iskandar had ordered the cigarettes from Jakarta, and had engaged another Singaporean, Hashbullah Taufiq Bin Mohd Amin, 44, to retrieve and repack the duty-unpaid cigarettes from the wooden crates.
Iskandar had planned to smuggle the cigarettes in his car out from the CAC in multiple trips, added Singapore Customs.
During a follow-up search of Iskandar’s car, customs officers found local and foreign currencies of more than S$120,000 and an additional one carton and 25 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
The contraband cigarettes were seized. The cash was subsequently handed over to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) for further investigation.
Singapore Customs said the total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about S$287,330 and S$21,000 respectively.
Singapore Customs officers conducted a follow-up search of Iskandar’s car and found local and foreign currencies of over S$120,000. (Photo: Singapore Customs)
As a repeat offender, Iskandar is liable to an “enhanced punishment” under the Customs Act. This includes a mandatory prison term of up to six years, as well as a fine of at least 30 times of the duty or GST evaded.
Hashbullah was sentenced to 30 months’ jail on Jul 31 for dealing with duty-unpaid cigarettes, Singapore Customs added.
