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New Paper
22-05-2025
- New Paper
3 arrested for allegedly evading over $936k in cigarette duties and taxes
Three men were arrested for allegedly evading more than $936,000 in cigarette duties and taxes following enforcement operations earlier in May. In a media statement on May 22, Singapore Customs said officers seized a lorry, 8,642 cartons and one packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes during operations on May 9 and 10 in Bukit Batok Crescent and Tampines Industrial Crescent. The total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $936,093, the statement added. On May 9, Customs officers observed a 39-year-old Chinese national pushing a trolley loaded with brown boxes towards a parked lorry at an industrial building in Bukit Batok Crescent. Two other men - a 25-year-old Singapore permanent resident and a 33-year-old Chinese national - were also seen transferring boxes into the lorry. When officers moved in to conduct checks, the 39-year-old man fled in a van but was later nabbed at a carpark in Lorong 25A Geylang. A total of 4,320 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, along with a consignment of stretch film, were found in the lorry, at the industrial building's lift lobby and in one of the units. A search of the 33-year-old man's residence uncovered an additional two cartons and a packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes. Investigations revealed that the 39-year-old man had allegedly been engaged by an unknown individual to deliver boxes of duty-unpaid cigarettes from a warehouse in Tampines Industrial Crescent to Bukit Batok Crescent. The 25-year-old was believed to have been separately hired to drive the lorry and assist the 33-year-old in delivering the duty-unpaid cigarettes to customers. Singapore Customs conducted a follow-up operation on May 10 at a warehouse in Tampines Industrial Crescent, where officers discovered another 4,320 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within six pallets, along with another consignment of stretch film. A lorry, 8,642 cartons and a packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CUSTOMS All three men were arrested, and court proceedings are ongoing. In its statement, Singapore Customs reminded the public that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years or both. Vehicles used in such offences may also be forfeited. Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can report it at
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Straits Times
3 men arrested for allegedly evading over $936k in cigarette duties and taxes
Two of the men arrested and the duty-unpaid cigarettes seized. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CUSTOMS 3 men arrested for allegedly evading over $936k in cigarette duties and taxes SINGAPORE - Three men were arrested for allegedly evading over $936,000 in cigarette duties and taxes following enforcement operations earlier in May. In a media statement on May 22, Singapore Customs said that officers seized a lorry and a total of 8,642 cartons and one packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes on May 9 and 10 in Bukit Batok Crescent and Tampines Industrial Crescent. The total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $936,093, it said. On May 9, Customs officers observed a man - a 3 9-year-old Chinese national - p ushing a trolley loaded with brown boxes towards a parked lorry at an industrial building in Bukit Batok Crescen t. Two other men - a 25-year-old Singapore permanent resident and a 33-year-old Chinese national - were also seen transferring additional boxes into the lorry. When officers moved in to conduct checks, the 39-year-old man fled in a van but was later nabbed at a carpark in Lorong 25A Geylang . A total of 4,320 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, along with a consignment of stretch film, were found in the lorry, at the lift lobby of the industrial building, and in one of the units in the building. A search of the 33-year- old man's residence uncovered an additional two cartons and one packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes. Investigations revealed that th e 39-year-old m an was allegedly engaged by an unknown individual to deliver boxes of duty-unpaid cigarettes from a warehouse in Ta mpines Industrial Crescen t to Bukit Batok Crescent. The 2 5-year-old man was believed to have been separately hired to drive the lorry and assist the 33-year-old man in delivering the duty-unpaid cigarettes to customers. Singapore Customs conducted a follow-up operation o n May 10 at a warehouse in Tampines Industrial Crescent, where officers discovered another 4,320 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within six pallets, along with another consignment of stretch film. A lorry and 8,642 cartons and one packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized during enforcement operations on May 9 and 10. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CUSTOMS All three men were arrested and court proceedings are ongoing. In its statement, Singapore Customs reminded the public that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing, or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years or both . Vehicles used in such offences may also be forfeited. Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can report it at Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
05-05-2025
- New Paper
5,800 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized, 4 foreigners arrested
In an operation the Singapore Customs conducted on April 25, an industrial unit at Corporation Drive was found to be housing 5,861 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes. A 34-year-old Indian national, a 27-year-old Chinese national and a 22-year-old Malaysian were arrested. Officers also seized $6,100 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from the sale of the duty-unpaid cigarettes. Further investigations identified a fourth suspect, a 47-year-old Malaysian man, who had allegedly driven the lorry with duty-unpaid cigarettes from Malaysia into Singapore earlier that day. He was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint on the same day. Investigations revealed that unknown persons had allegedly engaged the Chinese national and the younger Malaysian to unload and repack the duty-unpaid cigarettes. The Chinese national had, in turn, allegedly engaged the Indian national to assist in unloading the duty-unpaid cigarettes from the lorry in the industrial unit. The total duty and GST evaded amounted to about $634,851. Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid cigarettes are also liable to be forfeited.
