Over 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes found in consignment of ‘tube ice’, lorry driver arrested
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) again left potential smugglers cold when they recently uncovered more than 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes about to be brought into Singapore.
They were hidden in a consignment of “tube ice” carried by a Malaysia-registered lorry, said ICA in a Facebook post on Thursday (9 July).
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Lorry directed for enhanced checks at Woodlands Checkpoint
On 27 June, the lorry attempted to enter Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint, ICA said.
But it was directed for enhanced checks by an ICA radiographic image analyst, who detected anomalies in the vehicle’s scanned images.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
ICA also received information from its Integrated Targeting Centre (ITC).
Cigarettes found in cartons of ‘tube ice’
The consignment was declared to be “tube ice”, ICA said.
According to its photos, the refrigerated truck was filled with cartons stacked on pallets.
The cartons were also bound in shrink wrap.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
But more than 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, as well as more than 3,000 loose packets, were found in them.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Lorry driver arrested
The lorry driver, a 56-year-old Malaysian man, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore.
Both the items and the man were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
ICA said that it is “committed to facilitating trade and travel” while keeping Singapore’s borders safe and secure.
Offence to import duty-unpaid cigarettes
Under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing, or dealing in duty-unpaid cigarettes are serious offences.
Those convicted of offences involving duty-unpaid goods can be fined up to 40 times the amount of tax evaded and/or jailed for up to six years.
In February, ICA noted a significant increase in contraband smuggling attempts in its Annual Statistics for 2025.
The authorities foiled 57,400 such cases last year — a 30.6% jump from the 43,900 in 2024.
Several cases involved the smuggling of contraband cigarettes in cars with modified compartments or concealed among other goods in lorries, it added.
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Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook.
