SINGAPORE, Dec 8 — Singapore Customs has seized more than 17,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes in what officials say is the largest inland enforcement haul of the year, with taxes avoided amounting to over S$1.87 million (RM5.9 million).
According to AsiaOne, four men — a 27-year-old Singaporean van driver and three Indian nationals aged 30, 36 and 39 — were picked up in two separate operations conducted on November 30 and December 1 in Pandan Loop and Jurong Port Road.
Customs officers first tailed a Singapore-registered van spotted reversing into the loading bay of an industrial building in Pandan Loop on November 30.
Three men were seen loading brown boxes into the vehicle, and subsequent checks uncovered 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside.
The men then directed officers to a unit in the same building, where another 3,195 cartons were found.
Both the van and the contraband were seized, and all four suspects were arrested.
A follow-up raid the next day at a warehouse on Jurong Port Road uncovered an additional 11,684 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, bringing the total haul to 17,279 cartons.
A spokesperson for Singapore Customs said the case reflects the agency’s determination to clamp down on tax evasion through firm and decisive enforcement.
The public was urged to alert authorities to any suspicious activities.
Under the Customs Act and GST Act, dealing with duty-unpaid goods carries heavy penalties — including fines of up to 40 times the duty and GST evaded, jail terms of up to six years, and the forfeiture of vehicles used in the offences.
Court proceedings for all four men are ongoing.
