The duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about S$812,788 - SINGAPORE CUSTOMS
SINGAPORE: Three men were arrested and Singapore Customs officers seized a total of 7,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in two operations in June.
The total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about S$812,788, Singapore Customs said in a statement on July 2.
The three Singaporeans, aged 26, 27, and 43, were nabbed at an industrial unit in Depot Lane on June 25.
During the operation, Customs officers checked on two suspicious men in the vicinity and found a key on one of them.
Using the key, officers opened the back door of the unit and discovered a third man with 3,750 cartons of contraband cigarettes inside, along with a consignment of stretch film.
Investigations revealed that one of the men was allegedly engaged to collect and deliver duty-unpaid cigarettes to the industrial unit and keep a lookout for the authorities. The other two men were allegedly engaged to repack the cigarettes in the unit.
Following leads, Customs officers conducted another operation on June 27 at a warehouse in Pandan Avenue near Pandan Reservoir, discovering another 3,750 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in five pallets among stretch film.
Court proceedings are ongoing against two of the men, while investigations are ongoing for the remaining man, Singapore Customs added.
“Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act,” the Singapore Customs said.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. – The Straits Times/ANN
