Man caught with contraband cigarettes after claiming his car had broken down

A 25-year-old Malaysian man with 253 cartons of contraband cigarettes stuffed in almost every part of his vehicle told officers at Woodlands Checkpoint that his car had broken down.

His request? To make a U-turn and drive back to Malaysia instead of entering Singapore.

But Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers inspected his vehicle and found the cigarettes hidden in the spare tyre in the car boot, engine compartment, front and rear bumpers, door panels, floor boards and under the passenger seats.

The man and his passenger, a 22-year-old Malaysian woman, were handed over to the Singapore Customs.

Contraband cigarettes hidden in the door panel, rear passenger seat and front floor board. PHOTOS: IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY​

The incident took place on Sunday (Dec 27) at 9.45am.

The driver had approached ICA officers at the arrival forward check area, requesting to return to Malaysia.

The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $21,500.

The cigarettes and the Malaysia-registered vehicle were seized. The vehicle is liable to be forfeited.