A 29-year-old man was arrested at Woodlands after being caught with over 1,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The Indian national was arrested on Aug 27 during an enforcement operation at Woodlands Terrace, said Singapore Customs in a press statement on Tuesday (Sept 9).

During the operation at the back lane of the industrial estate, Singapore Customs officers noticed the man transferring a black trash bag between two Singapore-registered trucks. 

The officers then conducted checks and found 122 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the first truck.

Some 1,323 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were also found in the second truck.

In total, Singapore Customs seized 1,445 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, in addition to the two trucks involved. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to around $156,693. 

Investigations revealed that the man had been allegedly instructed to transfer part of the duty-unpaid cigarettes from the second truck to the first truck for delivery. 

Court proceedings are ongoing against the man, said Singapore Customs.

"Such firm actions by our officers on the ground underscore Singapore Customs’ continuous effort to detect and deter tax evasion, and the importance of vigilance and enforcement," said a spokesperson from Singapore Customs, adding that they will take decisive action against those who flout the law.

Under the Customs Act and the GST Act, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both if convicted.

Vehicles used to commit those offences are also subject to forfeiture. 

Singapore Customs also encourages members of the public to report suspicious activities relating to smuggling or GST evasion at https://go.gov.sg/reportcustomsoffence.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com