SINGAPORE – Two men were arrested and more than 4,600 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized by the Singapore Customs last Thursday.

The two Chinese nationals, aged 44 and 47, were nabbed during an operation by Customs officers, who found 1,657 cartons and eight packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in a lorry in the Mandai Link area, said Singapore Customs on Tuesday.

Officers saw the driver of the lorry handing over black trash bags to another man in the vehicle’s rear compartment and moved in to conduct checks.

The items were concealed inside two pallets of wall partition boards in the vehicle.

In follow-up checks, Customs officers found four pallets of wall partition boards concealing 3,039 cartons and eight packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes at an industrial unit in Loyang Way.

The lorry driver had allegedly collected the two pallets of wall partition boards seized at Mandai Link from this industrial unit earlier in the day.

The vehicle and the total haul of 4,696 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized in the operation.

The total amount of duty evaded was about $397,160, while the goods and services tax (GST) evaded was $31,610.

The driver of the lorry is under investigation, while court proceedings are ongoing against one of the men.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences are also liable to be forfeited.

Those with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-233-0000 or e-mail customs_intelligence@customs.gov.sg