Singapore Customs seizes 3,749 cartons and 3,628 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas and Marine Parade

In its drive to suppress unlawful cigarette actions, Singapore Customs performed two operations in Tuas Link 3 and Marine Parade Central on 6 December and 7 December 2023 respectively, an official information launch acknowledged.

In the operation performed at Tuas Link 3, CS officers performed checks on a truck in an industrial unit. They uncovered a complete of 1,509 cartons and 3,628 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The truck driver, a 31-year-old male Chinese nationwide, was arrested.

In the second operation at Marine Parade Central, officers uncovered 2,240 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, packed in brown carton bins in a van.

This time, a 32-year-old male Singaporean, who was the van driver, was arrested.

Along with the duty-unpaid cigarettes, each automobiles concerned had been additionally seized through the operations. Investigations revealed that unknown individuals allegedly engaged each males to gather and ship the duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The complete responsibility and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about S$440,127. Singapore Customs has initiated court docket proceedings towards the Chinese nationwide, whereas investigations are ongoing for the Singaporean.

As per Customs, shopping for, promoting, conveying, delivering, storing, preserving, possessing or coping with duty-unpaid items are severe offences below the Customs Act and the GST Act.

Offenders could be fined as much as 40 occasions the quantity of responsibility, and GST evaded and/or jailed for as much as six years. Vehicles utilized in committing such offences are additionally liable to be forfeited.

Members of the general public with info on smuggling actions or evasion of responsibility or GST can present info to Customs at https://go.gov.sg/reportcustomsoffence.