Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Wednesday that it has seized a total of 3,784 cartons and 1,363 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes by checking two suspicious consignments. The authorities also added that two Chinese nationals were arrested in connection with the case.
In a joint press release with Singapore Customs, ICA said that the officers checked a 40-foot container at a warehouse in Chai Chee Lane on Aug 17and found contraband hidden inside wooden doors. According to reports, the doors were part of a consignment that had been declared as "display stand and keychain card holder".
The officers opened the doors and uncovered 1,894 cartons and 660 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within them. Following these leads, Singapore Customs identified another suspicious consignment of wooden doors.
On Aug 21, the officers identified another suspicious consignment of wooden doors in a follow up operation. They kept an eye as the consignment was unloaded from two vans and taken to a unit on the fifth level of a building at Playfair Road in MacPherson.
The authorities serached the unit and again found 1,890 cartons and 700 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the wooden doors. They also arrested two men, aged 28 and 34. A follow-up search of their flat in Sims Avenue uncovered another three packets of contraband cigarettes.
The authorities said that the total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about S$304,210 and S$22,540 respectively. They added that the investigations are going on.
