33 men caught smoking illegal cigarettes in Customs sting

A worker on painting duty in Marine Parade over the weekend took a break that ended with a $500 fine - almost his salary for a month - after he was caught smoking a duty-unpaid cigarette.

The 33-year-old Bangladeshi had hidden his pack of illegal cigarettes within an empty duty-paid one when Customs officers caught him smoking one at a Housing Board block.

"One packet of cigarettes here is very expensive for my salary. The ones I buy from the dormitory are only $5," he said, referring to duty-unpaid cigarettes.

A 20-stick pack of duty-paid cigarettes costs $12 to $14 here.

He was among 33 men aged between 32 and 70 caught smoking duty-unpaid cigarettes in an operation last Saturday by Singapore Customs that covered areas such as Chinatown and Geylang.

Nine were Singaporeans.

Of the 33 offenders, 25 were issued composition sums between $500 and $1,300 for possession of contraband cigarettes, two were issued advisories and another six are currently being investigated for offences under the Customs Act.

Customs officers seized 380 duty-unpaid cigarettes in total during the operation.

Those tempted by "cheaper" duty-unpaid cigarettes may end up paying a high price for them, said Mr Chua Teck Hui, head of Singapore Customs' suppression and community engagement branch.

Customs officers conduct daily patrols and checks on smokers to suppress demand for contraband.

"If caught smoking or in possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes, the offenders may be issued a composition sum or be prosecuted in court," he said.

In Geylang, a 67-year-old security officer, one of the 33 caught, was shopping for groceries when he felt the urge to smoke. "I was so surprised when the plainclothes officers approached me," he said.

During questioning, he said he bought the cigarettes from a friend, adding that he usually rolls his own. He was fined $800 after the officers found he had a previous record for possession of illegal cigarettes in 2020.

Outside Paya Lebar Square, officers found a 36-year-old Chinese national with two duty-unpaid cigarettes. A search of his home found another eight packets of contraband, with officers seizing 162 sticks in total. He was issued a composition sum of $1,300.

Singapore Customs said that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.