'Broken down' car found carrying 253 cartons of contraband cigarettes: ICA
Photo: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
Monday, Dec 28, 2015
SINGAPORE - Officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) uncovered 253 cartons of contraband cigarettes from a car at the Woodlands checkpoint on Sunday, Dec 27.
According to a press release by the ICA, the driver of the Malaysia-registered car approached officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint at about 9.45am and requested to make a U-turn back to Malaysia instead of entering Singapore.
The driver, a 25-year-old male Malaysian, claimed that his car had broken down. He was accompanied by a 22-year-old female Malaysian passenger.
Sensing something amiss, the ICA officers conducted a thorough check on the vehicle.
ICA officers detected contraband cigarettes hidden in the spare tyre in the car boot, with more boxes hidden in various parts of the car such as the engine compartment, front and rear bumpers, door panels, modified floor boards and under the passenger seats.
The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $19,630 and $1,870 respectively.
Both subjects, the seized cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations.
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