Man caught with 209 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes wrapped in aluminium foil at Changi Airport
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport stopped an attempt to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes wrapped in aluminium foil into Singapore on 27 Dec 2025.
The case marks the fifth cigarette smuggling attempt detected by ICA in December, according to posts shared on its official Facebook page.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
ICA spots anomalies in luggage scan
In a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post titled “Aluminium foiled attempt?”, ICA said its Search and Examination officers detected irregularities in scanned images of a passenger’s baggage.
Further checks revealed 209 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes carefully wrapped in aluminium foil in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
A 36-year-old Chinese national was arrested in connection with the case.
Both the suspect and the seized cigarettes were handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
Fifth cigarette smuggling case uncovered in December
The Changi Airport case adds to a series of similar incidents uncovered by ICA within the same month.
On 23 Dec 2025, ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint stopped a Malaysia-registered car after spotting suspicious indicators.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Enhanced checks revealed over 420 cartons and 1,600 loose packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden inside the vehicle’s door panels.
A 47-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested.
Earlier, on 12 Dec 2025, ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint foiled two separate attempts involving Malaysia-registered trucks.
Radiographic image analysts identified anomalies, leading to the discovery of more than 2,000 cartons of cigarettes hidden in a consignment declared as “tool box and drawer storage”.
1,500 cartons were also concealed within a shipment declared as “furniture”.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Three Malaysian men, aged 27, 28 and 33, were arrested.
Another case occurred on 1 Dec 2025, when ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint uncovered 150 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in the cabin area of a Malaysia-registered lorry.
The 30-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Reiterating its stance, ICA said it remains vigilant in protecting Singapore’s borders.
“As Guardians of Our Borders, ICA is committed to facilitating trade and travel while keeping Singapore’s borders safe and secure,” it wrote.
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Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook.
