On 27 July 2019, at about 9.05am, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted checks on an arriving Malaysia-registered lorry at the over-sized lorry lane at Tuas Checkpoint. The lorry was carrying a consignment 16 concrete blocks.

2.         During the course of checks, the officers’ suspicions were aroused when they noticed anomalies in the concrete blocks. The vigilant officers drilled holes into the concrete blocks and uncovered duty-unpaid cigarettes encased within. The 25-year-old male Malaysian driver was immediately placed under arrest and the case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

3.         A total of 12,479 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were retrieved from the concrete blocks. This is the largest haul of duty-unpaid cigarettes uncovered by ICA in the last five years. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $1,240,430 and $90,590 respectively. Investigations are still 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 passengers, cargos and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands across our borders.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
19 AUGUST 2019

Photos

The Malaysia-registered lorry carrying a consignment of concrete blocks. [Photo: ICA]

ICA officers drilled a hole into the first concrete block. [Photo: ICA]

Duty-unpaid cigarettes found within the concrete block. [Photo: ICA]


12,479 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. [Photo: Singapore Customs]