Singapore Customs seizes over 17,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes, biggest haul in 2025
Ann Chen
The Straits Times
Dec 8, 2025
The Singapore Customs seized a total of 17,279 cartons of cigarettes with unpaid duties on Nov 30 and Dec 1, arresting four people in the process.
The total duty and goods and services tax evaded exceeded $1.87 million, the Singapore Customs said in a statement on Dec 8, making it the authorities' largest inland haul so far in 2025.
The contraband cigarettes were seized during two enforcement operations by the Singapore Customs, in Pandan Loop on Nov 30 and Jurong Port Road on Dec 1.
In the Nov 30 operation, customs officers raided an industrial building in Pandan Loop, where they spotted a Singapore-registered van reversing into a loading and unloading bay. Three men subsequently loaded brown boxes into the vehicle's cargo compartment.
The officers then checked the van and uncovered 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
After further questioning, the men led the customs officers to a unit in the building, where another 3,195 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found.
Customs officers seized all 5,595 cartons of cigarettes, along with the van.
A 27-year-old Singaporean man driving the van and three Indian nationals – aged 30, 36 and 39 – were arrested.
In a follow-up operation on Dec 1, customs officers raided a warehouse in Jurong Port Road and uncovered 11,684 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
Court proceedings are ongoing against all four men, the Singapore Customs said.
Under the Customs Act and the GST Act, buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing in duty-unpaid goods are serious offences.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Vehicles used in committing such offences are also subject to forfeiture.
