A 40-year-old Chinese national has been arrested after Singapore Customs officers seized 1,188 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor during an enforcement operation in Kaki Bukit.
Authorities said the operation took place on 22 June following a tip-off regarding suspected illegal alcohol activities in the area.
The total amount of duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) allegedly evaded was estimated at approximately S$75,835.
The man was subsequently charged in court on 24 June, with legal proceedings currently ongoing.
Customs Officers Acted On Tip-Off
According to Singapore Customs, officers conducted surveillance near Kaki Bukit Crescent before observing the suspect unloading brown boxes from a Singapore-registered lorry.
The man was allegedly seen transferring the boxes onto a trolley before moving them into a storage unit located within a self-storage facility.
Officers later conducted checks and discovered hundreds of bottles of duty-unpaid liquor.
A total of 396 bottles were found inside the lorry, while another 792 bottles were recovered from the storage unit, bringing the total seizure to 1,188 bottles.
The liquor and the lorry were seized as part of the investigation.
Suspect Allegedly Recruited Through Messaging Platform
Investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly accepted a job involving the storage and delivery of duty-unpaid liquor through a social messaging platform.
Authorities did not disclose how long he had been involved in the alleged operation or whether other individuals are being investigated.
Singapore Customs said investigations remain ongoing.
Severe Penalties For Duty-Unpaid Liquor Offences
Under Singapore law, buying, selling, transporting, delivering, storing, possessing or dealing in duty-unpaid liquor are serious offences.
Individuals convicted of such offences may be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded. They may also face a jail term of up to two years, or both penalties.
Vehicles used in committing such offences may also be forfeited by the authorities.
Singapore Customs urged members of the public with information relating to smuggling activities or tax evasion offences to report the matter through its official reporting channels.
The case remains before the courts.