Smugglers are getting more creative in their modus operandi to bring contraband into Singapore.

In the first six months of this year, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has uncovered contraband smuggling attempts in all possible consignments, including bricks, soya bean canned drinks, toilet paper, soft toys and even live frogs!

The seizures of contraband cases remain high at 17,700 in the first six months of this year, although the number has taken a slight dip of 3.8 per cent, as compared to the same period last year.

ICA Commissioner, Mr Eric Tan said: "This can be attributed to the deterrent effect arising from tightened border controls and sustained vigilance at the checkpoints. ICA continues to adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards any smuggling activity as a failure to do so could have disastrous security implications for Singapore."

Enhanced security checks have dented cigarette and illegal disc smuggling operations. While cigarettes still topped the list as the most bootlegged contraband item, the number of incidents has dropped from 12,000 in the first half of last year to 9,200 this year. Similarly, the quantity of cigarettes seized has also dived from 1,224,000 packs last year to 393,000 this year.

Not only are the cigarette 'mules' less willing to cartwheel contraband, the illegal disc 'conveyers' have also been smuggling in fewer pirated discs. In its mid-year report card, ICA saw a 23 per cent fall in the number of discs confiscated, but a slight increase of 10 cases in the number of pirated disc smuggling cases as compared to the same period last year.

Second on the list of contraband items seized are security-related items. ICA logged a record number of 1,800 security-related items seized at the checkpoints for the first six months of 2008. This was about 20 per cent more than the number of cases in the same period last year.

The frontline officers have never failed to be amazed by the myriad of security-related items that travellers attempt to smuggle into Singapore. They range from knuckle dusters and machetes to samurai swords and musket antique guns. The items were usually found in the possession of individuals passing through the checkpoints.

Illegal immigrants
Enforcement efforts have been beefed up with biometric databases and non-intrusive scanning technologies. That has led to bigger success stories against the contraband smugglers, and borne similar affirmative results against immigration offenders.

The heightened checks explained the decline in the number of immigration offenders arrested at the checkpoints in the first half of this year. About 208 such offenders were caught this year, down by 41 per cent from last year.

Overall, the total number of illegal immigrants arrested inland continues to drop. About 1,316 were arrested from January to June, a 18 per cent decrease from the same period last year. Similarly, the number of overstayers arrested inland has also declined from 2,500 to 1,797.

Increased participation in community involvement programs have raised public awareness on immigration related offences as fewer harbourers of immigration offenders were arrested: 68 were caught in the first half of this year, down by more than one-third. The number of employers of immigration offenders also continued to remain low at 64.