SINGAPORE Customs officers have caught six illegal peddlers and 12 buyers of duty-paid cigarettes in stepped up enforcement action.

The offenders were nabbed during a series of operations at Geylang Lorong 13 from March 1 to 5.

Four of the six illegal peddlers who had been charged in court were foreigners. The buyers were all Singaporeans who had to pay heavy composition fines of $500 per pack on the spot.

Altogether 1,166 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. The duty and GST for these totalled $10,330, said a Singapore Customs statement on Thursday.

Altogether, 1,166 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized.The duty and GST of the seized cigarettes totalled $10,330.

Singapore Customs said in a statement on Thursday that the recent operations at Geylang were part of the on-going raids that are conducted daily by the Suppression Teams of the Singapore Customs' Special Investigations Branch to clamp down on buyers and illegal peddlers.

These teams have been conducting island-wide patrols and inspections, particularly at the hotspot areas like Yew Tee and Geylang.

'With the enhanced enforcement, there is a high chance of getting caught and the penalties are severe,' said Singapore Customs, warning smokers against buying from illegal cigarette peddlers.

'Singapore Customs will continue to clamp down on buyers - if we can curb the demand for contraband cigarettes, there will be less incentive for smuggling,' it added.

Commenting on Singapore Customs' operation raids, Assistant Director-General of Customs (Investigations & Intelligence), Mr Lee Boon Chong said the beefed up daily enforcement raids in Geylang are 'to send a strong message that offenders will find themselves easily in 'hot soups' for getting involved in contraband cigarettes.'

'We are warning them of the high chance of getting caught and the penalties are severe. As Singapore Customs steps up its enforcement efforts, we urge the public to cooperate with us by saying NO to duty-unpaid cigarettes'.

In the same operation on March 1, officers also seized another loot - controlled drugs.

While inspecting a coffee shop at Geylang Lorong 14 for illegal cigarettes, officers found a 41-year-old Singaporean man in the female toilet.

Found in his pockets were five straws and a sachet suspected to contain heroin and seven tablets suspected to be Ermin 5.

The case had been handed over to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigations.

The officers also found 323 packets of illegal cigarettes left abandoned in a box at the corner of the coffee shop.

To raise public awareness on the issue and to warn potential buyers against buying duty-unpaid cigarettes, officers would be distributing warning flyers and Customs notice pamplets to members of the public during their daily rounds of enforcement patrols at Geylang.

Singapore Customs warns that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty unpaid cigarettes are serious offences under the Customs and GST Acts.

On conviction by the Court, offenders can be jailed or fined or both. The vehicles used in the commission of the offence are also liable to forfeiture.

The public are also urged not to buy duty-unpaid cigarettes. Under the Customs Act, buyers stand to face heft composition sums of up to $5,000 for the offence or prosecution in court.

Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of Customs duty or GST should contact the Singapore Customs Intelligence Hotline at 1800-2330000 or email to customs_intelligence@customs.gov.sg.