The Singapore Customs said in a press release that they have arrested a 29-year-old Singaporean man for evading more than $330,000 in duties and taxes.
He was found with 1,946 cartons of duty unpaid cigarettes at Marsiling Road, and the authorities also seized 2 vans, during the operation conducted by Singapore Customs.
Singapore Customs’ statement
TWO VANS SEIZED AND ONE MAN ARRESTED FOR EVADING MORE THAN $330,000 IN DUTIES AND TAXES
A Singaporean man, 29, was caught with 1,946 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Marsiling Road.
In its ongoing efforts to detect and deter tax evasion, Singapore Customs conducted an operation in Marsiling Road on 7 August 2023. A 29-year-old man was arrested, with 1,946 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized.
The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $305,756 and $25,992 respectively.
2 Singapore Customs officers mounted an operation at a carpark in Marsiling Road, where they sighted a man opening the door of a van. Officers conducted checks and found 96 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes packed in brown carton boxes.
Subsequently, officers uncovered another 1,850 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes packed in brown carton boxes in an adjacent van. The man was arrested, and the duty-unpaid cigarettes and the two vehicles were seized.
3 Investigations revealed that the man had allegedly purchased duty-unpaid cigarettes from an unknown person via a social messaging platform for resale. Court proceedings 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.
5 Members of public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-2330000 or email [email protected] to report these illegal activities.
Annex A: Photos of the operations
