Man who smuggled cigarettes jailed 39 months, fined $16m
A man was jailed for 39 months and fined $16 million for repeated offences of dealing with duty-unpaid cigarettes. He will serve an additional 25 months and one day of jail as he did not pay the fine.
Investigations showed that Singaporean Loh Hu Seong, 58, conspired with an unknown man and a Malaysian man to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes from Malaysia to Singapore in September 2018. He was promised payments of between $1,000 and $2,000 for each successful shipment, Singapore Customs said yesterday.
Loh also engaged in a criminal conspiracy with a Singaporean man during the same period. He purchased excavator arms from the man and informed the latter that he needed holes in them to hide smuggled cigarettes.
Loh's offences were uncovered when Singapore Customs conducted an operation at an industrial unit in Tuas South Street 1 in November 2018 and found 5,428 cartons and 25 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed in recycled excavator arms imported from Malaysia.
The total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded amounted to $552,410.
Loh was taken into Singapore Customs' custody in January after being extradited from Malaysia for these offences. Investigations are ongoing for the Malaysian man, and court proceedings against the Singaporean man are also ongoing.
As he was previously convicted in September 2016 and sentenced to 30 months' jail for dealing with duty-unpaid cigarettes, Loh was given enhanced punishment for his current case as a repeat offender.
Mr Yeo Sew Meng, Singapore Customs' assistant director-general of intelligence and investigation, warned that cigarette smuggling is a serious offence.
He said: "Singapore Customs will not let up in our efforts to clamp down on cigarette smuggling activities. The jail sentence and fine imposed serve as a reminder of the stiff penalties repeat offenders face.
"Those who are contemplating illegal cigarette activities should think carefully about the consequences when they are caught."
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