SINGAPORE: A total of 7,559 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized at Tuas Checkpoint on Monday (Sep 28) by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
The goods were concealed in the cargo consignments of two Malaysia-registered lorries.
The first lorry was inspected at about 4am when officers noticed “anomalies” in scanned images of the vehicle. More than 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in a consignment of tissue rolls.
First lorry carrying duty-unpaid cigarettes detected at Tuas Checkpoint. (Photo: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority)
Duty-unpaid cigarettes found hidden in the consignment of tissue rolls. (Photo: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority)
About 10 minutes later, another lorry was directed for further checks, during which 2,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in boxes containing pineapples.
Duty-unpaid cigarettes found hidden in the consignment of pineapples. (Photo: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority)
The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about S$656,299 and S$52,981 respectively, said ICA in a news release on Thursday.
Three Malaysian men, aged 22, 25 and 41, have been handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigations, ICA said.
