The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) again halted the plans of potential smugglers when it uncovered hundreds of cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes about to be brought into Singapore.
They were hidden in various compartments of a Malaysia-registered car, said ICA in a Facebook post on Thursday (15 Oct).
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
On 5 Oct, the vehicle attempted to enter Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint, ICA said.
However, ICA officers directed it for enhanced checks.
ICA’s photos showed that the car had been modified to create various compartments where objects could be stashed.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Eventually, officers found more than 700 cartons and 2,000 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within these compartments.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
The driver, a 32-year-old Malaysian man, was arrested in connection with the suspected attempt to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore.
Both the items and the man were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
In the Facebook post, ICA affirmed its mission as “Guardians of Our Borders” to facilitate trade and travel while keeping Singapore’s borders safe and secure.
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.
Also read: Duty-unpaid cigarettes found hidden in tyres of car at Woodlands Checkpoint, M’sian man arrested
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Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook.