A Singaporean man was caught twice while smoking contraband cigarettes in the same area on Thursday, October 4. In a news release, the Singapore Customs said on Wednesday that the two offences took place about 90 minutes apart.
The officers first caught the 53-year-old man, who was smoking a duty-unpaid cigarette in the Bukit Merah Central last Thursday morning. About 90 minutes later, the customs officers again caught the same man while smoking the contraband cigarettes in the same vicinity.
Further investigation that led the officers to his workplace and resident, helped the investigators to uncover a total of three packets and 10 sticks of contraband cigarettes. For committing such offences the unnamed man was issued a fine of $2,900. Later, the officers came to know that the accused had committed similar offences in 2013 and 2015.
As per Singapore's Customs Act, "offenders may settle customs offences by an out-of-court composition sum or prosecution in court. 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."
It also added that "The actual composition amount offered may be different from the table depending on circumstances of the case. This will be specified in the letter issued by a Singapore Customs officer. Please note if there is a delay in payment of the composition sum, offenders can be charged in court for the offence."
