[Male Vietnamese fined over $5,000 for fraudulent evasion of duty and GST]
A 29-year-old male Vietnamese, Doan Ngoc Trung, was sentenced by the State Courts on 31 May 2022 to a fine of $5,300 for fraudulent evasion of duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST).
On 26 May 2022, Doan was walking out of the Arrival Hall through the Green Channel (“Nothing to Declare” lane) at Changi Airport Terminal 3, when Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers directed him to stop for a routine check. Doan ignored the ICA officers’ instructions and continued to head towards the exit.
Doan was stopped before he was able to leave the Arrival Hall and a check was conducted on his baggage. A total of eight bottles of duty-unpaid liquor were found in his baggage.
Investigations revealed that Doan was engaged by someone in Vietnam to bring the liquor into Singapore for delivery to customers. He was instructed to walk out of the Arrival Hall through the Green Channel without making any declaration so as to avoid paying the duty and GST on the liquor.
Doan pleaded guilty to two charges of fraudulent evasion of duty and GST. The total duty and GST evaded amounted to about $210 and $310 respectively.