Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers has smashed yet another attempt to smuggle unpaid-duty cigarettes into the country.

An officer, suspicious after viewing the scanned image of a lorry displaying Malaysian licence plate, ordered the lorry to pull over for a more thorough check when the lorry stopped at the checkpoint this morning.

The lorry was loaded with polishing compound, but when the officer inspected the consigment, he felt hard objects hidden in the powdery compound.

4,046 cartons, totalling 908200 sticks, of stashed cigarettes were uncovered. The potential customs duty and Good and Services Tax (GST) involved on the duty-unpaid cigarettes amounted to about $284,800 and $25,800 respectively.

The 57 year-old Chinese driver denied knowledge of the contraband. The male Malaysian claimed that he picked up the consignment of 'polishing compound' from a warehouse in Malacca before heading to Singapore.

He said he was working for a Mr Mah, also known to him as Ah Sheng, who paid him a monthly allowance of RM300 (S$126) and an additional 23 per cent of the freight fees collected for each delivery.

Singapore Customs is investigating the case.

If convicted, first-time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded.

For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be jailed for up to two years, as well as being fined. The offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded. The lorry used in conveying this contraband will also be liable for forfeiture.

Under the Customs Act as well as the Immigration Act, vehicles used in the smuggling of contraband items or illegal immigrants will be seized and are liable to be forfeited. It is the responsibility of logistics companies and bus owners operating across the borders to ensure that their vehicles are not used for smuggling unlawful goods or persons into Singapore as they would ultimately have to bear the cost of their employees' wrongdoings.

Commissioner ICA Eric Tan said: "It is of paramount importance that ICA continues to adopt a zero tolerance approach towards any smuggling activity. However, our borders are not air tight. While ICA has successfully been detecting smuggling attempts, we cannot rule out the possibility that inventive syndicates will incessantly find means and ways to infiltrate our borders."

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