Singapore Customs seizes largest inland haul of contraband cigarettes this year, over $1.87m in taxes evaded

A total of 17,279 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and a van were seized by Singapore Customs in its largest inland haul this year, with the total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded exceeding $1.87 million. 

A 27-year-old Singaporean van driver and three Indian nationals — aged 30, 36, and 39 — were arrested in two raids on Nov 30 and Dec 1 in Pandan Loop and Jurong Port Road, said the agency in a statement on Monday (Dec 8). 

On Nov 30, Customs officers spotted a Singapore-registered van reversing into the loading bay of an industrial building in Pandan Loop. Three men then loaded brown boxes into the vehicle. A search of the van found 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes. 

The men then led officers to a unit in the building, where 3,195 more cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found. The contraband and van were seized, while the four men were arrested. 

A follow-up raid on Dec 1 at a warehouse in Jurong Port Road found another 11,684 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes. 

A Customs spokesperson said the case underscores its "steadfast commitment to detecting and deterring tax evasion. With our robust and decisive enforcement, all offenders caught will be dealt with firmly and in accordance with the law."

The agency also urged the public to report any suspicious activities.

Under the Customs Act and the GST Act, buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing in 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 committing such offences are also subject to forfeiture. 

Court proceedings are ongoing against all four men. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com