On 13 August 2020, at about 2.20 am, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted checks on a Malaysia-registered lorry at Tuas Checkpoint and found 5,026 cartons and 10 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden underneath the lorry bed. The lorry was conveying a consignment of precast concrete.

2.         During the course of checks, the officers had noticed anomalies around the exterior of the lorry and proceeded to pry open a small section of the lorry bed, revealing the duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within it. The case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation. 

3.         The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $429,310 and $34,760 respectively. The 47-year-old Malaysian driver has been charged in court and court proceedings are ongoing.

4.         Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains ICA’s top priority. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore. ICA will continue to conduct security checks on people, goods and conveyances at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands across our borders.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
18 AUGUST 2020

Photos

Side view of the lorry carrying duty-unpaid cigarettes detected at Tuas Checkpoint. (Photo: ICA)

ICA officers pried open a small section below the lorry bed, revealing the duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within it. (Photo: ICA)

Duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden underneath the lorry bed. (Photo: ICA)

A total of 5,026 cartons and 10 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were uncovered. (Photo: ICA)