SINGAPORE - The number of immigration offenders fell by almost a quarter in the first half of this year from the same period last year.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) figures released on Tuesday show a 22 per cent drop from 1,311 offenders in January-June 2013 to 1,020 this year.

However the number of contraband smuggling cases rose for a second straight year. There were 47,800 in the first six months of this year, up from 46,300 in that period last year. The ICA said smugglers are reverting to known methods, such as concealing cigarettes in modified CNG (compressed natural gas) tanks of cars and under the floors of buses, cars and vans.