Car checked in Serangoon North industrial building found with 240 cartons of illegal cigarettes
More than 6,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized and three men were arrested for evading over $700,000 in taxes by Singapore Custom on May 6.
During the operation at a unit in an industrial building in Serangoon North Avenue 4, officers observed two men loading brown boxes into a car that had reversed into the unit.
Suspecting the presence of duty-unpaid cigarettes, the officers moved in to conduct checks and found 2,997 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes within the industrial unit and 240 cartons in the rear compartment of the car.
Both men, a 24-year-old Singaporean and a 37-year-old Malaysian, were arrested.
The duo were allegedly tasked with collecting a consignment described as floor tiles but containing duty-unpaid cigarettes, using a lorry from an industrial building in Gul Circle.
They were then to repack the cigarettes into cartons in Serangoon North.
Another man, a 42-year-old Malaysian, who was seen loitering near the loading and unloading bay, was also apprehended. He was allegedly responsible for delivering the duty-unpaid cigarettes using the car.
A subsequent follow-up operation in Gul Circle led to the discovery of an additional 3,233 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
In total, 6,470 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, along with the car and lorry used for transportation were seized.
The total duty as well as goods and services tax evaded amounted to about $701,166.
Investigations are ongoing.
Those convicted of buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods may face fines of up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, and jailed for up to six years.
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