A 23-year-old Chinese national was sentenced by the Court to a fine of $19,000 for smuggling 160 packets of cigarettes by post. The duty and GST evaded amounted to over $1,228.

On Nov 3, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Parcel Post Station screened a parcel which arrived in Singapore from Korea. The parcel declared to contain "foodstuff", and was addressed to a Wang Zhong of Paya Lebar.

Officers detected that the parcel contained cigarettes, and the case was handed over to Singapore Customs for follow-up investigations. Officers initiated the delivery to Wang on Nov 29. He received the parcel and was detained for questioning.

In total, 160 packets of duty unpaid cigarettes were found packed inside the parcel. Wang, admitted ownership of the cigarettes and said he had arranged for his friend in Korea to send the cigarettes to him by post. 

Wang pleaded guilty to the charges in Court on Monday and was fined $19,000 or in default seven weeks' imprisonment.

There have been 56 previous cases of using parcel-post delivery to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes since 2006 to date.

A Singapore Customs spokesman said that as long as cigarettes are brought into Singapore regardless of the methods of import, duty and GST must be paid. Failure to do so is an offence.

Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of Customs duty or GST should contact the Singapore Customs Intelligence Hotline at 1800-2330000 or email to customs_intelligence@customs.gov.sg.