JOHOR BARU: A Malaysia-registered lorry was found carrying more than 980 cartons of contraband cigarettes concealed beneath a modified floorboard during an inspection at Singapore’s Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 16.
The 39-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested after Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers uncovered the cigarettes hidden in the modified compartment.
In a video released on ICA’s social media today, officers were seen dismantling platform steps fitted around the lorry’s container area before using cargo-securing straps to pull out cartons wedged beneath the modified flooring.
The discovery followed an anomaly flagged by an ICA image analyst who examined the lorry’s scanned images and directed it for further checks.
A subsequent physical inspection uncovered more than 980 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
The driver and seized cigarettes were handed over to Singapore Customs.
Under Singapore’s Customs Act and Goods and Services Tax Act, offences involving duty-unpaid goods carry fines of up to 40 times the duty evaded, imprisonment of up to 6 years, or both.
Vehicles used in such offences and proceeds from the sale of duty-unpaid goods may also be forfeited.
ICA said it detected more than 57,000 contraband cases through Singapore’s checkpoints last year.