7 nabbed for trying to smuggle in duty-unpaid cigarettes
Posted: 05 August 2012 1742 hrs
SINGAPORE: Five Singaporeans and two Indonesians have been arrested for trying to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore.
Police and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority conducted a joint operation on Saturday at around 10.15pm.
A Singapore-registered supply boat by the name 'Chong Han 02' heading towards Sungei Jurong bridge was spotted behaving suspiciously.
When the boat was near the bridge, the subjects on board the boat were seen dumping boxes of duty unpaid cigarettes, wrapped in black plastic bags, into the water.
At the same time, some other subjects on the shore were seen entering the water to retrieve the boxes.
Officers from the Police Coast Guard and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority immediately moved in to apprehend them.
Upon seeing the officers, the smugglers ditched their illegal operation and fled in all directions.
Their attempt to escape, however, was thwarted by the swift response by the officers from Police Coast Guard, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and Clementi Police Division.
Seven people aged between 24 and 52 years were arrested.
The two Indonesians were the crew of the supply boat while the Singaporeans were on the shore to retrieve the boxes from the water.
They attempted to smuggle into Singapore a total of 22,900 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, valued at about S$240,300.
The total Excise Duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded is about S$200,850.
The cigarettes and the supply boat were seized.
The Singapore Customs said 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 can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and/or jailed for up to six years.
- CNA/cc
