SINGAPORE: Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) seized 2,041 cartons and 60 packets of contraband cigarettes hidden in a bus at Tuas Checkpoint last Sunday (Mar 19).
In a media release on Tuesday, ICA said officers inspected the vehicle at about 10pm on Sunday and found the contraband cigarettes concealed in the modified air-con duct, roof luggage compartment and roof compartment of the bus.
The 24-year-old Malaysian driver, the cigarettes and the vehicle were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.
Duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the modified air-con duct of the bus; as well as cigarettes concealed in the modified roof compartment of the bus. (Photos: ICA)
The potential duty as well as Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about S$158,840 and S$11,770 respectively, ICA said.
ICA added that it will keep up security checks on passengers and vehicles at checkpoints as these are “critical to our nation’s security”. “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,” it said.
