ICA Seizes 12,479 Cartons Of Cigarettes Hidden In Concrete; Lorry Driver’s Fate Likely ‘Cemented’

ICA Drills Into Concrete Blocks & Finds Duty-Unpaid Cigarettes

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers are our last line of defence when it comes to preventing illegal goods and persons from entering our borders.

Last month, vigilant ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint seized over 12,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in concrete blocks on a lorry arriving from Malaysia.

The seizure was the largest of its kind in 5 years.

ICA seizes 12,479 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes

On the morning of 27 Jul, ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint conducted checks on an “over-sized” truck carrying 16 concrete blocks.

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Officers reportedly spotted “anomalies” in the blocks and proceeded to drill holes into the block.

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Instead of finding more concrete, officers discovered cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes encased within the unsuspecting grey blocks of concrete.

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In total, 12,479 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized from the lorry — the largest haul of its kind in the last 5 years.

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According to the ICA press release, duties and taxes evaded amounted to $1,240,430 and $90,590 respectively.

The lorry driver – a 25-year-old Malaysian man – was arrested on the spot. The case is currently in the hands of the Singapore Customs.

Netizen says lorry driver’s future cast in stone

Reports of the seizure garnered a slew of comments from netizens.

Many praised the ICA officers for their vigilance.

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Others thought that hiding contraband cigarettes in concrete blocks was an ingenious method.

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One netizen took a punnier approach to the incident and claimed that the driver’s future has likely been “cast in stone.”

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Well done, ICA

While it may just be cigarettes this time round, smugglers can also use the same method to conceal firearms and even “undesirables persons”.

Kudos to the ICA officers for their vigilance, without which this arrest wouldn’t have been possible.

Featured image adapted from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.