The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Tuas Checkpoint found a total of 122 cartons and 478 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside a Malaysia-registered car on Saturday, February 2.
ICA stated that the officers found those illegal items from a car, driven by a 28-year-old male Malaysian. They also added that those duty-unpaid cigarettes were hidden under the floor panels of the vehicle.
The officials have referred the case to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
In a Facebook, ICA said, "Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands."
However, on January 23, ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint uncovered two separate cases of Malaysians attempting to smuggle in duty-unpaid cigarettes.
The customs law says that in such cases offenders can settle customs offences by an out-of-court composition sum or prosecution in court. It also says that "The penalty for a customs offence is a composition sum of up to S$5000, or prosecution in court, depending on the severity of the offence."
As per Singapore Customs, if an offender is found committing customs offences at the checkpoints, then he or she may be offered following composition amounts:
| Type of Offence | Composition Amount |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of cigarettes | 1st offence: S$200 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof2nd offence: S$500 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof3rd offence: S$800 per packet or per 20 sticks of part thereof |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of dutiable goods other than cigarettes | 1st offence: 10 times the duty amount2nd offence: 15 times the duty amount3rd offence: 20 times the duty amountSubject to a minimum of S$50 |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of non-dutiable goods | 10 times the Goods and Services Tax (GST) amount subject to a minimum of S$50 |
| Leaving Singapore in a Singapore-registered motor vehicle with less than three-quarter tank full of motor fuelThis applies to petrol, CNG and petrol-CNG supply tanks. With effect from 1 April 2019, the three-quarter tank rule will also apply to all Singapore-registered diesel-powered vehicles. | A. Motor Vehicles (Sedan, SUV, MPV, Hatchback, Convertible, etc.)1st offence: S$1002nd offence: S$3003rd offence: S$500B. Large-Sized Motor Vehicles (Goods Vehicles, Trucks, Buses, Vans, etc.) with effect from 1 April 20191st offence: S$3002nd offence: S$4003rd offence: S$500The driver may be required to turn back to Singapore to fill the fuel supply tank to three-quarter tank full before he is allowed to leave Singapore with the motor vehicle.The driver may be charged in court if the fuel gauge of his motor vehicle has tampered. |
