The Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said in a statement that they foiled 2 different smuggling attempts of about 8,970 cartons of contraband cigarettes into Singapore.
The two smuggling attempts happened within 2 hours of each other and were both uncovered by ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint.
ICA’s Facebook statement
𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
On 11 April 2023, ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint foiled 2 different smuggling attempts within 2 hours to smuggle a total of 8,970 cartons of contraband cigarettes into Singapore.
Case #1
ICA officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of a Malaysia-registered lorry and upon further inspection, a total of 2,250 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden within a consignment of Cocoa Beans.
Case #2
Two hours later, ICA officers foiled another smuggling attempt totalling 6,720 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in barrels of a liquid consignment after noticing anomalies in the scanned images of a Malaysia-registered lorry.
Both cases were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations.
As Guardians of our Borders, ICA is committed to facilitating trade and safe travels while keeping Singapore’s borders safe & secure.
Contraband cigarettes
The dangers of contraband cigarettes in Singapore are many. They pose a health risk to smokers.
Contraband cigarettes are often produced without the same quality control measures as legal cigarettes, meaning they may contain harmful chemicals and toxins at higher levels.
This puts smokers at risk of developing serious health conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses.
Another danger of contraband cigarettes is the potential for organized crime and gang activity. The illegal trade of cigarettes is a lucrative business, and criminal organizations may use the profits to fund other illegal activities.
This poses a threat to public safety, as these criminal organizations may resort to violence and other forms of illegal activity to protect their interests.
Potential penalties
The buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in committing such offences can be seized.
| Type of Offence | Composition Amount |
|---|---|
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of cigarettes | 1st offence: S$200 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof 2nd offence: S$500 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof 3rd offence: S$800 per packet or per 20 sticks of part thereof |