4 arrested after Singapore Customs seizes over 4,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes
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Duty-unpaid cigarettes and vans seized from raids in Canberra Street (top row) and Eunos Avenue 7.
PHOTOS: SINGAPORE CUSTOMS
SINGAPORE - One Singaporean and three Bangladeshi men were arrested by Singapore Customs in two raids on July 29, where 4,311 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and two vans were seized.
The total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about $467,000, the agency said on Aug 4.
It added that its officers had been observing a man, and checked a van at a multi-storey carpark in Canberra Street when they saw he was about to board the vehicle.
The 30-year-old Singaporean was arrested after officers found 2,881 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside the van.
Singapore Customs said its investigations showed that the man was allegedly engaged by an unknown person to deliver the cigarettes.
In a separate operation on the same day, three Bangladeshi men aged 29, 33 and 37 were arrested at an industrial building in Eunos Avenue 7.
Singapore Customs officers observed two men alighting from a van near a cargo lift there, with one of them then unloading brown boxes from the vehicle. The driver remained inside the van.
“Upon seeing our officers approaching, the men attempted to flee and were apprehended,” said Singapore Customs.
It added that its officers uncovered 1,170 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside the van and another 260 cartons near the cargo lift.
Investigations are ongoing for the 29-year-old and the 37-year-old, said Singapore Customs.
Court proceedings against the rest are ongoing.
