ICA foils 2 cigarette smuggling attempts on same day

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

ICA foils 2 cigarette smuggling attempts on same day
By Mustafa Shafawi, 938 LIVE | Posted: 12 February 2010 1514 hrs
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An ICA officer pry open the floorboard of a vessel to find cigarettes </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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SINGAPORE: The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday foiled two separate cigarette smuggling attempts.

Duties and taxes on the 1,900 cartons of cigarettes amounted to some S$144,000.

In the first case, two Malaysians were caught at the Tuas Checkpoint for trying to smuggle contraband cigarettes hidden in a modified compartment within the floorboard of a consignment of hydrated lime.

Preliminary investigations showed that the Indian driver was promised RM$2,000 by the accompanying attendant for the successful delivery of the duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The attendant claimed that he had been asked by an unknown male Malaysian to guide the driver to Senoko Loop where the contrabands would be delivered.

The seized contrabands and the trailer were handed over to Singapore Customs.

The two men are also assisting in the investigation.

The other case involved five Indonesian seamen who were intercepted at Jurong Wharf for hiding the contraband cigarettes under the floorboard of the vessel.

Two of them have previous records of smuggling contraband cigarettes into Singapore.

- CNA/yb