More than 11,000 cartons of cigarettes seized at Woodlands Checkpoint
After scanning a lorry that was carrying paper rolls into Singapore last Friday, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Woodlands Checkpoint noticed anomalies in the scanned images.
Directing the Malaysia-registered lorry for further checks, they uncovered more than 11,000 cartons and over 400 packets of contraband cigarettes.
This is the second largest haul of contraband cigarettes within a month, ICA said yesterday.
The lorry driver, a 31-year-old Malaysian man, was arrested and the case has been handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigation.
ICA said the total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to more than $1 million and close to $79,000, respectively.
In a statement, ICA said the methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore.
It added: "ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers, cargo and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband across our borders."
On July 27, a Malaysian lorry driver, 25, was nabbed after he tried to smuggle in more than 12,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes encased in concrete blocks.
This was the largest haul of duty-unpaid cigarettes uncovered in the last five years.
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