SINGAPORE - OVER 600,000 sticks of illegal smokes and more than 120 kgs of duty-unpaid chewing tobacco were seized yesterday at the Tuas Checkpoint.
A 34-year-old driver was supposedly conveying 220 pieces of air-con components in the Malaysia-registered truck when crossing the causeway from Johor Bahru to Singapore.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers observed some anomalies in the course of scanning the truck.
They found carton boxes placed beside the pallets of declared consignment, and later discovered the contraband after thorough checks.
The customs duty and GST evaded on the contraband amounted to about $260,000.
The Malaysian driver confessed that he took up the smuggling job as he wanted to make more money.
Upon conviction by the court, first time offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years.
For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and jailed for up to six years. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The vehicle used in conveying the contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.
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