The Singapore Customs announced in a press conference on Jan. 23 that 2.9 million packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized last year, the highest amount since 2010. The figure reflects a 93 percent hike when compared to the amount seized in 2012.
And it seems smugglers have been experimenting with more creative ways to take contraband cigarettes across the border. Singapore Customs revealed that the number of people that have tried to transport them via luxury cars, thinking the chance of an inspection is lower, has grown from four in 2012 to 15 in 2013. Enforcement officers found a total of 2,642 cartons and four packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in various compartments of luxury cars last year, evading more than $208,000 in Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The authorities also highlighted a trend where transactions between contraband cigarette peddlers and smokers are made via instant messaging platforms like WeChat. Like the sale of any other goods, Peddlers would look for buyers online and deliver the cigarettes to them upon confirmation of the deal. 11 men and two women were caught selling 1,740 cartons on WeChat last year, evading a total of $137,000 in GST.
Among the four syndicates cracked by Singapore Customs in 2013, one concealed the cigarettes in specially crafted fibre tanks while another falsely declared the cigarettes as floor and wall tiles.
In Singapore, it is illegal to buy, sell or smoke duty-unpaid cigarettes. On conviction by the court, offenders can be jailed or fined or both. The vehicles used in the commission of the offence are also liable to forfeiture.
Photo: Singapore Customs
