$1.4 million worth of contraband cigarettes were seized from a container docked at Keppel Wharf, claiming to be carrying bamboo chopsticks on consignment.

This is the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) record seizure to date, foiling the plans of smugglers to sneak 15,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore and from evading approximately $1.2 million in GST and duty.

On June 20, 2009 at about 9 P.M., the innocuous-looking 20-footer container, which declared to contain 750 cartons of bamboo chopsticks, was directed to Tanjung Pagar Scanning Station for radiographic scanning.

Scanned images reflected inconsistencies in the densities of the load, which led checkpoint officers to conduct physical checks.

The officers found the duly declared bamboo chopsticks stacked at the entrance of the container but had to dig deeper to get to the illegal cigarettes tucked away behind the decoy consignment.

15,000 cartons each containing 200 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were uncovered in the operation.

Besides seizing the illegal cigarettes, five persons have since been detained by Singapore Customs for investigation.

Contraband cigarettes and bamboo chopsticks found in the container.

The innocuous-looking container

The ICA has deployed the new Integrated Cargo Inspection System (ICIS) at its border checkpoints to detect illicit items disguised as legitimate imports.

Passengers and commuters at checkpoints can also expect tightened security checks conducted by ICA to circumvent attempts to smuggle undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband into Singapore.

First time offenders of illegal trafficking can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty evaded and liable to a jail term not exceeding three years upon conviction by the court.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and jailed for up to six years for the second or subsequent offences.

The last biggest haul uncovered in a container was 6,200 cartons of contraband cigarettes declared to contain photocopiers in April 2009.