What was listed as “Game Machines” on a consignment turned out to be guises for something less wholesome — a means to smuggle in 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
It was game over for the smugglers on Monday when Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers uncovered and confiscated the stash of illegal products. Suspicions were first aroused earlier when officers detected anomalies during the scanning process for a 40-footer container at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station.
Officers then dropped by the trader’s premises at a warehouse in Tuas Avenue 3 to check on the container. The game machines found inside were locked, and when they were pried open for closer examination, the interiors of the consoles were found to be hollow. Inside were several black bundles of duty-unpaid cigarettes — 6,000 cartons in total.
With the total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounting to $550,180, the case was handed over to Singapore Customs for further investigations.
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