Firecrackers seized at Tuas checkpoint

SINGAPORE - 24 strips of firecrackers and two small boxes of 18 "Boom" firecrackers were seized during a routine check at Tuas Checkpoint on Feb 6.

A Malaysian-registered car driven by a 33-year-old Malaysian man was stopped by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers, at about 11.20pm, where they uncovered a cardboard box containing items suspected to be firecrackers in the car boot.

The man and the items were referred to the Singapore Police Force for further investigations which are ongoing.

If convicted, the man is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and not more than two years and may also be punished with caning with not more than six strokes.

ICA said in a statement released today: "ICA will continue to conduct our security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore."

spanaech@sph.com.sg