G
General Kala
Guest
Feb 16, 2011
Smuggling cigarettes by other routes
Rise in air, sea cases due to stricter checks at land checkpoints
By Kimberly Spykerman
They actually contained contraband cigarettes - brought in using a method of smuggling by air that the Singapore Customs on Tuesday flagged as a recent phenomenon. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE CUSTOMS
THE big boxes flown into the Changi Cargo Complex had labels saying they contained documents.
But they actually contained contraband cigarettes - brought in using a method of smuggling by air that the Singapore Customs on Tuesday flagged as a recent phenomenon.
Last year, there were nine such cases, up from three in 2009.
Cigarette smugglers are turning to alternative methods - including more attempts by sea - as ramped-up enforcement efforts at land checkpoints and islandwide put fear into them.
One indication: The number of illegal cigarettes seized last year dropped by 21 per cent, hitting a record five-year low of 2.3 million packets.
On air smuggling, Singapore Customs said the cigarettes are flown in from countries in the region, to be picked up by Singaporean and foreign runners at the cargo complex.
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
