21,227 cartons of contraband cigarettes seized
Posted: 30 January 2013 1129 hrs
Duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the modified seats of the car (Singapore Customs)
SINGAPORE: Customs officers seized 21,227 cartons of contraband cigarettes and arrested five men and a woman during islandwide operations last week.
Singapore Customs said on Wednesday that the total value of the cigarettes seized was over S$2 million, while the total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded was S$1.8 million.
Three distribution networks were disrupted.
The biggest seizure was from a prime-mover, which had a consignment of goods declared as pottery.
The vehicle, which was moving out of Jurong Port on 23 January, had 18,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in wooden crates.
Three men were arrested in connection with this seizure.
Investigations are ongoing.
- CNA/ck
