SINGAPORE — More than 14,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found on a Singapore-registered truck at the Tanjong Pagar Scanning Station on Wednesday (Feb 22) after an Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer noticed anomalies in its scanned images.
According to the ICA, the 40-footer container was declared to contain 16 pallets of gypsum boards.
Photo: Singapore Customs
However, 14,492 cartons of cigarettes — with duty and Goods and Services Tax amounting to about S$1.1 million and S$83,340 respectively — were found concealed within specially-hollowed areas of the boards beneath the ones on the top.
Photo: Singapore Customs
Six Malaysian men, aged between 19 and 28, were subsequently arrested in a warehouse in Tuas South Avenue 10 following an operation by the Singapore Customs officers. Investigations are ongoing.
Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences are also liable to be forfeited.
