The Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced on 15 Oct that officers arrested five men for smuggling activities on 13 Oct.
The men, aged between 30 and 47, were attempting to bring duty-unpaid cigarettes into the country.
According to the SPF, officers seized 238 cartons and 120 packs of duty-unpaid cigarettes during the operation.
Source: SPF
The Police Coast Guard (PCG) and Police Intelligence Department arrested the five men during an operation near Marina South Wharf.
Source: Jurong Port website
The men are accused of attempting “vessel-to-shore contraband smuggling”.
A breakdown of the 5 arrests::
PCG officers arrested a 44-year-old Indonesian man at the shore, and three Indonesian men, aged between 30 and 36, were arrested onboard a Singapore-flagged vessel moored at the area. A 47-year-old Singaporean man was also arrested during the operation for his involvement in the transportation of the duty-unpaid cigarettes.
The SPF also reported that officers sent the seized goods to Singapore Customs. They will also seize the vessel the men used for further investigation.
The SPF also reminds the public of the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act.
Under either Act, buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing, or dealing in duty-unpaid cigarettes are serious offences.
Offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to two years.
Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or duty or GST evasion can report it to Singapore Customs at https://go.gov.sg/reportcustomsoffence.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force news release.