4 arrested after Singapore Customs seize over 4,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes
Duty-unpaid cigarettes and vans seized from raids in Canberra Street (top row) and Eunos Ave 7.
SINGAPORE - One Singaporean and three Bangladeshi men were arrested by the Singapore Customs in two raids on July 29, where 4,311 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and two vans were seized.
The total duty and G oods and S ervices T ax (GST) evaded amounted to abou t $467,000 , the agency said on Aug 4.
It added its officers had been observing a man and checked a van at a multi-storey carpark at Canberra Street after he was about to board the vehicle.
The Singaporean, 30, was arrested after officers found 2,881 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside the van.
Singapore Customs said its i nvestigations showed that the man was allegedly engaged by an unknown person to deliver the cigarettes.
In a separate operation on the same day, three Bangladeshi men aged 29, 33 and 37 were arrested at an industrial building at Eunos Ave 7 .
Singapore Customs officers observed two men alighting from a van near a cargo lift there, with one of them then unloading brown boxes from the vehicle. The driver remained inside the van .
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'Upon seeing our officers approaching, the men attempted to flee and were apprehended,' said Singapore Customs.
It added that its officers uncovered 1,170 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside the van and another 260 cartons near the cargo lift.
Investigations are ongoing for the 29-year-old and the 37-year-old men , said Singapore Customs.
Court proceedings against the rest are ongoing.
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