SINGAPORE - A total of 6,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in a modified compartment at the rear end of a 40-foot bowser on Thursday (June 2) at the Tuas checkpoint, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a press release on Friday.

Officers from the ICA had directed a Malaysia-registered truck with the bitumen bowser to undergo checks, after noticing anomalies in the scanned image of the bowser.

The truck was driven by a lone 37-year-old Malaysian man.

The potential duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about $504,400 and $50,778 respectively.

The man, contraband cigarettes and vehicle were handed over to the Singapore Customs for investigations.

The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is also liable to be forfeited.