3,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized: ICA

3,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes declared as frozen food were seized by Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on September 26, 2018.

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, an officer from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) directed an arriving Malaysia-registered refrigerated lorry. It was driven by a 37-year-old Malaysian man, who was accompanied by a 25-year-old Malaysian man. 

The ICA officer had noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the lorry, and directed the vehicle for further checks at the Tuas checkpoint. The consignment was declared to be frozen food.

Refrigerated lorry used in the smuggling of duty-unpaid cigarettes. Photo courtesy: ICA

During the course of checks, ICA officers uncovered 3,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in the consignment. The case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

Duty-unpaid cigarettes found concealed in the consignment declared to be frozen food. Photo courtesy: ICA

The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about S$298,900 and S$21,900 respectively.