Speedboat caught conveying illegal cigarettes into S'pore

Early this morning, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) successfully confiscated 1,300 cartons of duty unpaid cigarettes and seized a 7m long speedboat. The unnumbered speedboat was spotted heading towards the mouth of Sungei Pandan at about 6am, and soon after two people on board were seen throwing boxes wrapped in black plastic bags onto the shoreline.

PCG officers quickly moved in to intercept the speedboat, but the alleged smugglers ditched their illegal activities and fled from the scene to evade arrest. Efforts to locate the two suspects are currently in progress, PCG said. The total Excise Duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) of the cigarettes confiscated was valued to be about $107,000.

Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. The minimum court fines for first-time and repeat offenders of tobacco-related offences are $2,000 and $4,000 respectively.

Repeat offenders who are caught with more than two kilogrammes of tobacco products will also face mandatory imprisonment. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences may also be forfeited. Members of the public are strongly advised not to buy duty-unpaid products. For possessing a packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes, buyers may face a minimum fine of $500 or prosecution in court.