On 3 Aug 2022, Singapore Customs conducted an operation in Choa Chu Kang and arrested a 37-year-old male Chinese national for dealing with duty-unpaid liquor and seized 11 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor.
The man had allegedly requested his relative to purchase the liquor in China and ship them over to Singapore without paying the relevant taxes. He would then advertise and sell these duty-unpaid liquor on a social media platform.
The operation led to a seizure of one Singapore-registered car, 11 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor and they are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act.
Investigations are ongoing.
Penalties
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Manufacturing dutiable goods or having in possession any still, utensil, apparatus, equipment or machinery for the manufacture of dutiable goods without a licence are offences under the Customs Act.
Offenders can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to 18 months.
Members of public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of customs duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-233-0000 or email [email protected] to report these illegal activities.