SINGAPORE - A 50-year-old cleaner was slapped with four charges on Monday over 125 cartons and 70 packs of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized by Singapore Customs officers on Feb 24.

Cheng Yongguang, a Chinese national, had allegedly bought the contraband cigarettes through a social media platform, before allegedly selling some of them to his colleagues.

The remaining contraband was stored in his bedroom, and at his workplace in Tai Seng Drive, Singapore Customs said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Court documents revealed that he possessed 71 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes containing 200 sticks each, and another 50 cartons containing 160 sticks each, at his residence in Bedok Reservoir Road.

The contraband found there was valued at $16,193.50, with the duty evaded amounting to more than $14,000. Meanwhile, the goods and services tax (GST) evaded was over $1,200.

A smaller quantity of duty-unpaid cigarettes was found at his workplace – the duty evaded was more than $1,200 and the GST evaded was $113.50.

If convicted, Cheng could be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to three years, or both.