On 26 March 2019, at about 2pm, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted checks on a 20-footer container at an industrial building in Tuas. The container was earlier presented for clearance at the Tanjong Pagar Scanning Station, where officers detected anomalies in the scanned images of the consignment declared as “metal cutting machine”. The container was sealed for checks at the trader’s premises. 

2.         During the course of checks, ICA officers observed black plastic in the machine. This aroused the officers’ suspicion and they proceeded to pry open the machine where they uncovered duty-unpaid cigarettes. A total of 4,260 cartons and 140 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. 

3.         The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $364,999.60 and $26,914.24 respectively. The case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

4.         Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains ICA’s top priority. 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. 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.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
30 MARCH 2019

The metal cutting machine which was used to conceal the duty-unpaid cigarettes. [Photo: ICA]

  
The metal cutting machine being pried open.[Photo: ICA]

Duty-unpaid cigarettes found inside the metal cutting machine. [Photo: ICA]