2 ex-Certis officers allow passage of contraband cigarettes at Jurong Port after accepting bribes of over S$4K

Ex-Certis officers plead guilty to taking bribes at Jurong Port, pocketing over $4,000 while leaking security details

Two former Certis security officers deployed at Jurong Port admitted in court on Thursday (19 Sept) to pocketing more than S$4,000 in bribes from a mobile crane operator, in exchange for letting contraband cigarettes slip through.

Both men — 25-year-old Muhammad Khairul Amir Suhaimi and 32-year-old Mohamad Aziffi Selamat — pleaded guilty to one count of corruption and one count under the Official Secrets Act.

They are no longer employed by Certis, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

In August 2025, they were among four charged for corruption offences, according to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Crane operator bribes officers to smuggle contraband

The bribes were paid by 34-year-old Muhammad Sukaimi Gasali, a crane operator at the port whose case is still before the courts.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Riasudeen said Aziffi received S$3,450, while Khairul pocketed S$600.

As officers contracted by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), both men were meant to clamp down on contraband.

Instead, they betrayed their duties by leaking confidential deployment schedules and operational details — effectively giving smugglers safe passage.

Corrupt arrangement lasted for years

Aziffi first met Sukaimi in 2021 during a routine vehicle check. Sukaimi later revealed he was smuggling cigarettes and offered cash for Aziffi’s cooperation.

Aziffi agreed and began leaking information such as his deployment schedule and operational movements.

Between June 2021 and June 2022, he allowed smuggling operations to slip through 35 times, ST reported.

Khairul became involved in early 2023 after meeting Sukaimi. Between March and May that year, he facilitated four smuggling runs by turning a blind eye.

It remains unclear how the offences came to light, but both men were arrested in August 2024.

All three were charged in 2025.

The pair of Certis officers will be sentenced on 21 Oct.

Also read: Certis S’pore agrees to stop tracking officers’ live locations while they’re on MC