A truck driver tried to smuggle almost 7,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore by declaring the contraband consignment to be "rockwool".

However, the miscreant failed to pull the wool over the eyes of Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers who seized the massive haul last week.

They were conducting checks on a Singapore-registered truck carrying a 20ft container at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station when they checked a consignment declared as rockwool insulation.

The officers found 7,498 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden inside the container last Thursday. They handed the case over to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

The ICA, which revealed details of the haul yesterday, said the total duty and goods and services tax evaded was about $640,460 for the cartons, and $46,940 for the packets.

"Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The security checks are critical to our nation's security," the agency said.

"The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore."

Fabian Koh