ICA officers pry open modified floorboard in Malaysian lorry, find 2,200 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers brought out their crowbars as they pried open the modified floorboard of a Malaysia-registered lorry during an enhanced check at Tuas Checkpoint on Sept 2.

In a video posted on its social media on Thursday (Sept 17), at least one ICA officer is seen prying open a section of the floorboard, while another officer lifts up the panel.

As the floorboard is removed, neatly stacked cartons of cigarettes are seen underneath.

ICA said the lorry was directed to undergo enhanced checks, during which search and examination officers found over 2,200 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within the modified floorboard.

A 48-year-old Malaysian man was arrested, while the seized items were handed over to the 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 evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.

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

9月2日，在Tuas关卡进行加强检查时，移民与关卡局（ICA）官员拿出撬棍，撬开了一辆马来西亚注册货车的改装地板。

在周四（9 月 17 日）发布在其社交媒体上的一段视频中，可以看到至少一名移民与关卡局官员撬开了地板的一部分，而另一名官员则抬起了面板。

地板被拆除后，可以看到下面整齐堆放着一箱箱香烟。

移民与关卡局表示，该货车被要求接受更严格的检查，检查人员在改装后的地板下发现了超过 2200 箱未缴税香烟。

一名48岁的马来西亚男子被捕，查获的物品已移交给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出售未缴税货物的所得款项也可能被没收。