5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden beneath lorry seized

More than 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden beneath a Malaysia-registered lorry were seized by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) yesterday.

The total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about $429,300 and almost $34,800 respectively.

In a press release yesterday, ICA said the 5,026 cartons and 10 packets of assorted duty-unpaid cigarettes were hidden under the lorry bed while officers were checking it at Tuas Checkpoint last Thursday at 2.20am.

The lorry was carrying a consignment of precast concrete and allegedly showed anomalies around its exterior.

When the officers prised open a small section of the lorry bed, they found the duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

ICA said the 47-year-old Malaysian driver has been charged in court and court proceedings are ongoing.

It added that the same methods of concealment used by smugglers can be employed by terrorists to bring arms and explosives into Singapore.

ICA said it would continue to conduct security checks on people and goods at checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle undesirable people, drugs, weapons, explosives and other forms of contraband across the country's borders.