During a week-long enforcement operation at Singapore’s checkpoints, four travellers were caught bringing S$1.25 million cash into Singapore in just one day.
They had also failed to make a proper declaration that they were bringing in such large sums of money, said a joint statement by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Saturday (18 Oct).
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
The discoveries were part of a multi-agency enforcement operation involving the four agencies from 9 Oct to 15 Oct.
It took place across Singapore’s land, air, and sea checkpoints, where enhanced checks on travellers and vehicles were conducted.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
In total, more than 14,000 travellers and 280 vehicles were identified for checks.
More than 11,700 pieces of luggage and hand-carry bags were also scanned or searched.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
“The operation was part of the authorities’ continued efforts to detect and enforce against non-compliance with Singapore’s Cross-Border Cash Reporting Regime (CBCRR) and other illegal cross-border smuggling activities,” the statement said.
Among them were four foreigners — three men aged from 38 to 44 and a 37-year-old woman — nabbed on Monday (13 Oct).
They were separately detected to be bringing into Singapore cash of various currencies amounting to S$1,249,666.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
None of them had made a proper declaration, with some making an inaccurate declaration and the rest not having made a declaration.
Seven other foreign travellers were also nabbed during the operation for moving too much cash.
On 10 Oct, a 52-year-old man was found moving RM70,000 (S$21,504) in cash into Singapore without declaration.
The next day, four men aged from 45 to 60 were separately detected to be moving S$42,337 worth of cash in various currencies into Singapore without declaration.
On 14 Oct, two men aged 34 and 41 were separately nabbed while bringing in cash amounting to S$43,604 and S$50,000 respectively, in various currencies, without declaring the amounts.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
Four of the 11 travellers nabbed were issued Notices of Warning, while six were issued with composition sums amounting to S$24,000.
Investigations into the remaining traveller are ongoing.
It is a legal requirement for travellers entering or leaving Singapore to declare cash or currency of more than S$20,000.
Under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, those who fail to submit a full and accurate report could face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to S$50,000.
The cash could also be confiscated upon conviction.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
Mr David Chew, Director of SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department, said cross-border cash smuggling is a “well-known money laundering typology” for criminal organisations to obscure the origins of their illicit proceeds.
Singapore maintains a “zero-tolerance approach” towards cash smuggling as an important trade and transportation hub, so the CBCRR was implemented to identify and intercept suspicious physical movements of currency.
He clarified that bona fide travellers are allowed to carry cash into Singapore – as long as they declare amounts exceeding S$20,000.
Additionally, during the operation 14 travellers — 13 men and one woman — were found with e-vaporisers, or vapes.
A total of 395 vapes and related components were also seized.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
Separately, a 25-year-old female traveller was found to be carrying 11 sachets of chewing tobacco upon entering Singapore.
Source: Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority
All of them were fined, according to the statement.
Also read: Travellers entering & leaving S’pore must declare cash exceeding S$20,000 online from 13 May
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority.