SINGAPORE: An Indian national received a jail sentence on Wednesday (Aug 21) for peddling duty-unpaid cigarettes and for possessing chewing tobacco, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Singapore Customs said in a joint news release.
Veerappan Vimalraj, 33, was prosecuted for storing and dealing 14,130 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, and for possessing for sale 12,180 sachets of khaini tobacco, a type of chewing tobacco that is prohibited in Singapore.
Khaini consists of moist, dark brown tobacco leaves, mixed with slaked lime or spices.
Veerappan’s criminal activity was uncovered on May 21, when customs officers – who were conducting an operation – saw Veerappan enter a storage facility in Neythal Road in Jurong Industrial Estate.
Officers found 10,680 sachets of prohibited chewing tobacco and 13,130 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the storage facility. Another 1,500 sachets of the chewing tobacco and 1,000 packets of the cigarettes were found in a car parked near the storage facility.
A total of 12,180 sachets of chewing tobacco and 14,130 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized during an operation by the Singapore Customs. (Photo: Singapore Customs)
Veerappan Vimalraj was paid S$600 a month to sell the items. (Photo: Singapore Customs)
Veerappan was paid S$600 a month to sell the items, investigations showed.
He would use the car to deliver the chewing tobacco and cigarettes to his customers. In order to avoid attention, he would hide the chewing tobacco and cigarettes in bushes at the delivery locations.
After collecting the chewing tobacco and cigarettes, his customers would either place the payment at the same spot or hand over the cash to him.
Both the car and S$5,927 in proceeds from the sale of the cigarettes were also seized, the authorities said.
The chewing tobacco is estimated to have a street value of more than S$24,000, while the duty, and goods and services tax (GST) evaded on the cigarettes amounted to about S$120,670 and S$8,900, respectively, according to the news release.
On Wednesday, Veerappan was found guilty and convicted on three counts for offences under the Customs Act and the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
He was sentenced to 19 months and 11 weeks’ jail and the seized cash was forfeited.
