S’PORE & M’SIA CARS CAUGHT BY ICA TRYING TO SMUGGLE ILLEGAL CIGGS INTO S’PORE

The Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a Facebook statement that they foiled 2 attempts to smuggle illegal contraband cigarettes into Singapore.

A Singapore-registered car was profiled by ICA officers on 4 March for further checks, and they found about 750 packets of illegal cigarettes inside.

2 days later, on 6 March, another Malaysia-registered car was profiled for further checks by ICA officers and they found about 300 packets of illegal cigarettes.

Both cases were then referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

ICA’s statement on Facebook

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠’ ‘𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐲’ 𝐰𝐢𝐭’ 𝐢𝐭

In the first week of March, ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint foiled 2 attempts to smuggle contraband cigarettes into Singapore.

On 4 March, officers profiled a Singapore-registered car for enhanced checks and found a total of 750 packets of contraband cigarettes.

On 6 March, officers profiled a Malaysia-registered motorcycle for enhanced checks and found 300 packets of contraband cigarettes.

The cases were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

As Guardians of Our Borders, ICA is committed to facilitating trade & 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.