More than $190k worth of contraband cigarettes hidden in floorboard of Malaysia-registered bus seized

More than $190,000 worth of contraband cigarettes were seized from a Malaysia-registered bus at Woodlands Checkpoint in the early hours of Friday last week (Sep 28), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said.

In a Facebook post made on Monday (Oct 1), the ICA said that it uncovered 1,781 cartons and 438 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes that had been hidden in the modified undercarriage of an arriving Malaysia-registered bus.

https://www.facebook.com/Immigration.Checkpoints.Authority/posts/7594675...

Sharp-eyed ICA officers had noticed suspicious scanned images of the bus's floorboard, and decided to refer the bus for further checks.

The total duty and GST evaded is $178,895.92 and $13,010.89 respectively. 

The 41-year-old male Malaysian driver of the bus was referred to Singapore Customs for investigations.

ICA said: "This method of concealment is a cause for concern as it may be used by people with ill intent to smuggle security items into Singapore."