ICA officers seize 4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden beneath concrete piles in lorry; Malaysian driver arrested

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore via a Malaysia-registered lorry at Tuas Checkpoint earlier this month.

A video posted by the authority on Tuesday (Sept 15) shows ICA search and examination officers using lashing straps to pull out cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden beneath concrete piles.

The contraband was wrapped in black plastic before being concealed underneath the piles.

According to ICA, the Malaysia-registered lorry was directed for enhanced checks after anomalies were detected in screened images of the vehicle.

During the checks, search and examination officers found a total of 4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

A 26-year-old Malaysian man was arrested in connection with the case, which was referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

Buying, selling, conveying, possessing and 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 and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.

Vehicles used to commit such offences, as well as proceeds from the sale of duty-unpaid goods, may also be forfeited.

本月初，移民与关卡局 (ICA) 官员在 Tuas 关卡挫败了一起企图通过一辆马来西亚注册的货车将未缴税香烟走私到新加坡的案件。

周二（9 月 15 日），移民与关卡局 (ICA) 发布了一段视频，显示 ICA 搜查和检查人员使用捆绑带将隐藏在混凝土桩下的未缴税香烟箱拉了出来。

违禁品先用黑色塑料包裹，然后藏在堆放物下面。

据ICA称，这辆马来西亚注册的货车在车辆筛查图像中发现异常后，被要求接受更严格的检查。

检查过程中，搜查人员共查获4500箱未缴税香烟。

一名26岁的马来西亚男子因涉嫌此案被捕，该案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、持有和处理未缴税货物都是严重的违法行为。

违法者可被处以相当于逃税金额 40 倍的罚款，或被判处最高六年监禁，或两者并罚。

用于实施此类犯罪的车辆以及出售未缴税货物的所得款项也可能被没收。