$21,000 worth of chewing tobacco seized
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Sep 04, 2012
SINGAPORE - Two Malaysian lorry drivers were caught yesterday trying to smuggle $21,070 worth of chewing tobacco into Singapore.
The 28-year-old driver and 38-year-old co-driver were driving a Malaysia-registered lorry on September 3 at about 6am when they arrived at Tuas Checkpoint.
They were undergoing a radiographic scanner as part of routine checks when officers observed anomalies in the scanned images.
The lorry was subsequently directed for detailed inspection and the driver appeared nervous and was evasive during the interview, according to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
ICA officers uncovered a box containing packets of "Hans Chhap Scented Khani" chewing tobacco hidden in the undercarriage at the back of the lorry and two more cartons inside the driver's cabin.
9,075 sachets of chewing tobacco weighing approximately 82kg was seized.
The total potential Customs duty and GST payable of the chewing tobacco are estimated to be about $19,520 and $1,550 respectively.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the Malaysian driver was promised RM200 (S$80) to smuggle the items while his co-driver was promised RM100 for his assistance.
Both drivers and the illegal stash have been handed over to the Singapore Customs for further investigations.
Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.
Offenders may be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and/or face a jail term of up to six years.
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