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SINGAPORE, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) seized a total of 3,190 cartons and 1,512 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in three separate checks at Woodlands Checkpoint on Tuesday, ICA said in a press release on Wednesday.
The authority said the total potential customs duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) involved amounted to about 285,380 Singapore dollars (210,068 U.S. dollars). ICA revealed that all three checks took place in the early hours of the morning, from about 4:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The first case was a Malaysia-registered lorry driven by a 32-year-old Malaysian man. The driver was accompanied by a 23-year-old Malaysian man. The consignment of the lorry was declared to be 40 pieces of wooden doors, each measuring 80 cm by 34 cm. However, ICA officers discovered 2,508 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden behind 38 of these large wooden doors.
About an hour later, officers found 439 cartons and 812 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in various parts of a Malaysia-registered car, which was driven by a 22-year-old Malaysian male. A sachet that ICA suspects contains controlled drugs was also recovered from the floor mat of the vehicle.
In the last case, ICA officers seized 243 cartons and 700 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in various parts of a Malaysia-registered car driven by a 22-year-old Malaysian male.
ICA added that all vehicles used in the commission of the offences in the three cases are liable to be forfeited. The seized cigarettes and individuals who were in the first and third case were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations, while the driver in the second case was handed over to Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau. Enditem
