Singapore's ICA seizes 6,470 cartons of contraband cigarettes, 750 kg chewing tobacco

Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) successfully foiled two attempts to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes and prohibited chewing tobacco into the nation, said the authority in a press release on Wednesday.

ICA said a total of 6,470 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 74,940 sachets of chewing tobacco, weighing approximately 750 km, were seized on April 21 and 22.

On April 21, ICA found 3,448 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 74,940 sachets of chewing tobacco, weighing approximately 750 km, concealed among a consignment declared as wardrobe sets.

Another 3,022 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed among a consignment declared as wheat grain and food grade bran were detected in a Malaysia-registered lorry on April 22.

The authority said the total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded for the cigarettes in both cases amounted to about 502,070 Singapore dollars (359,180 U.S. dollars) and 37,210 Singapore dollars (26,620 U.S. dollars) respectively.

The two Malaysian drivers, duty-unpaid cigarettes and vehicles from both cases were handed over to the Singapore Customs.

While investigation against both men are ongoing, ICA said the vehicles used in the commission of such offenses are liable to be forfeited.

ICA said that it will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands.

This is to prevent terrorists from employing the same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore, the statement added. Enditem