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Sep 9, 2009
Dens of cigarettes found <!--10 min-->
<!-- headline one : start --> <!-- headline one : end --> <!-- Author --> <!-- show image if available --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr></tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold">By Diana Othman
</td></tr> </tbody></table> THREE people have been jailed for hiding illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco, said Singapore Customs. J.P. Ajith Pushpa Kumara, 32, and G.G Samathi Renuka, 26, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to storing duty-unpaid cigarettes and chewing tobacco in their rented flat. On Aug 7, 36 year-old Shankar s/o Magalimgam also pleaded guilty for keeping chewing tobacco in a rental car. The first two jailed for 18 months each while Shankar was sentenced to 12 months jail for committing offences. The cigarettes were worth more than $36,000 and the duty and GST evaded for both cigarettes and chewing tobacco totalled close to $54,000.
Officers noticed Shankar behaving suspiciously inside a car at the car park on Aug 4. The officers then searched his vehicle in hispresence. A total of 12,600 sachets of chewing tobacco of Han's Chhap Scented Khani brand were found concealed in the boot. The amount of duty evaded added up to $20,525.40. Investigations revealed that Shankar was using a rental car to deliver chewing tobacco to 'customers' in various locations. Shankar had made several successful deliveries of chewing tobacco since April. He was paid $1.50 as commission for every 30 sachets successfully delivered. The officers also found out that prior to his arrest, Shankar was actually on his way to replenish his stocks of chewing tobacco from two foreigners staying in Block 614. A team of officers stationed on one of the floors in Block 614 spotted two men carrying four nylon bags and approaching a unit.
The officers moved in, checked the bags and found 200 cartons, each containing 200 sticks, of illegal cigarettes. Another 200 cartons were kept hidden from sight in a corner of the room, together with 1,560 sachets of chewing tobacco. The cigarettes of assorted brands were worth more than $36,000 and the duty and GST evaded amounted to about $31,000. The duty evaded for chewing tobacco of Han's Chhap Scented Khani brand totalled $2,541.24. Further investigations revealed that they were mmigrants operating as a husband-and-wife team to store illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco in their rented flat in Choa Chu Kang. Like Shankar's case, their den served as a collection centre for distributors. The couple was paid $20 to $40 daily for safe keeping every batch of fresh stocks of illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
Sep 9, 2009
Dens of cigarettes found <!--10 min-->
<!-- headline one : start --> <!-- headline one : end --> <!-- Author --> <!-- show image if available --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr></tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold">By Diana Othman
</td></tr> </tbody></table> THREE people have been jailed for hiding illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco, said Singapore Customs. J.P. Ajith Pushpa Kumara, 32, and G.G Samathi Renuka, 26, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to storing duty-unpaid cigarettes and chewing tobacco in their rented flat. On Aug 7, 36 year-old Shankar s/o Magalimgam also pleaded guilty for keeping chewing tobacco in a rental car. The first two jailed for 18 months each while Shankar was sentenced to 12 months jail for committing offences. The cigarettes were worth more than $36,000 and the duty and GST evaded for both cigarettes and chewing tobacco totalled close to $54,000.
Officers noticed Shankar behaving suspiciously inside a car at the car park on Aug 4. The officers then searched his vehicle in hispresence. A total of 12,600 sachets of chewing tobacco of Han's Chhap Scented Khani brand were found concealed in the boot. The amount of duty evaded added up to $20,525.40. Investigations revealed that Shankar was using a rental car to deliver chewing tobacco to 'customers' in various locations. Shankar had made several successful deliveries of chewing tobacco since April. He was paid $1.50 as commission for every 30 sachets successfully delivered. The officers also found out that prior to his arrest, Shankar was actually on his way to replenish his stocks of chewing tobacco from two foreigners staying in Block 614. A team of officers stationed on one of the floors in Block 614 spotted two men carrying four nylon bags and approaching a unit.
The officers moved in, checked the bags and found 200 cartons, each containing 200 sticks, of illegal cigarettes. Another 200 cartons were kept hidden from sight in a corner of the room, together with 1,560 sachets of chewing tobacco. The cigarettes of assorted brands were worth more than $36,000 and the duty and GST evaded amounted to about $31,000. The duty evaded for chewing tobacco of Han's Chhap Scented Khani brand totalled $2,541.24. Further investigations revealed that they were mmigrants operating as a husband-and-wife team to store illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco in their rented flat in Choa Chu Kang. Like Shankar's case, their den served as a collection centre for distributors. The couple was paid $20 to $40 daily for safe keeping every batch of fresh stocks of illegal cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
