ICA seizes 4,999 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in bags of kitchen towel rolls

This article is more than 12 months old

May 31, 2023 10:31 pm

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on May 25 foiled an attempt to smuggle 4,999 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes from Malaysia into Singapore.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, ICA said a Malaysia-registered lorry was profiled for enhanced checks at Tuas Checkpoint and its officers found the cigarettes within bags of kitchen towel rolls.

The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigations.

Earlier on April 18, ICA thwarted plans to smuggle 314 cartons and 1,558 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

A video posted by ICA on Facebook showed officers unearthing the cigarettes from various parts of a Malaysia-registered silver Honda, including from under its bonnet.

The largest haul of duty-unpaid cigarettes at land checkpoints so far in 2023 was 12,708 cartons on Jan 18 at Tuas Checkpoint.