Man arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint after over 400 cartons of contraband cigarettes found hidden in car's modified compartments

Under the hood, seats, and even the undercarriage.

These were the places that Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in various modified compartments of a Malaysia-registered car at Woodlands Checkpoint on Oct 7.

In a social media post on Thursday (Oct 29), ICA said that its search and examination officers had directed the car for enhanced checks, where over 400 cartons and 30 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found.

Photographs shared by ICA show cartons of cigarettes hidden by covers or black thrash bags underneath the car's bonnet, seats, trunk, and even the undercarriage.

A 37-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.

Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.

Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods may also be forfeited.

从引擎盖下、座椅下，甚至底盘下部。

10 月 7 日，移民与关卡局 (ICA) 官员在兀兰关卡一辆马来西亚注册汽车的各个改装隔间内发现了数箱未缴税香烟。

移民与关卡局（ICA）周四（10月29日）在社交媒体上发帖称，其搜查和检查人员已指示对该车辆进行更严格的检查，结果发现了400多箱和30包未缴税香烟。

ICA 分享的照片显示，汽车引擎盖、座椅、后备箱甚至底盘下都藏着用盖子或黑色垃圾袋包裹的成箱香烟。

一名37岁的马来西亚籍男司机被捕，该案件已移交新加坡海关作进一步调查。

根据《海关法》和《商品和服务税法》，购买、出售、运输、持有或处理未缴税货物都是严重的违法行为。

违法者可被处以逃税金额 40 倍的罚款，或被判处最高 6 年监禁，或两者并罚。

用于这些违法行为的车辆以及销售未缴税货物的所得款项也可能被没收。