SINGAPORE: A shocking incident was revealed when Singapore Customs officers uncovered more than 740 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes stored in various freezers at an eatery in Jurong East Avenue 1.
On Facebook, the authorities claimed that from the operation, a number of cigarette packets were seized alongside four Chinese nationals aged 43 and 47 who were working at the eatery. Two of these men were arrested, and the other two issued composition sums. The two men arrested were then charged and sentenced to 66 and 18 days’ imprisonment, respectively.
In the post, the authorities declared: “Duty-unpaid cigarettes may be cheap, but their consequences are costly. Remember, buying, selling, storing or consuming duty-unpaid cigarettes is illegal and carries severe penalties, including hefty fines and jail terms. Don’t risk it. It’s simply not worth it.”
According to Singapore laws, the Customs remain committed to enforcing strict compliance with regulations and protecting revenue. It is under the Customs Act and GST Act that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possession or dealing in duty-unpaid cigarettes are serious offences. Offenders of this law can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty, and GST evaded, or imprisonment of up to six years, or both.
If you have encountered any suspicious activities, the authorities are urging everyone to report any suspicious activities here: https://go.gov.sg/reportcustomsoffence.
Other related news
In similar news, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found a total number of 42 cases of passengers carrying e-cigarettes across sea, land, and air checkpoints last March.
Some of these passengers were caught on the spot, while others chose to throw their vapes away after seeing the inspection checks.
Read more about the news story here.
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