SINGAPORE - A total of 138 cartons and 270 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were recovered from a modified roof compartment of a van at Woodlands Checkpoint on Tuesday (Aug 13).

Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) discovered the hidden contraband cigarettes after they noticed anomalies in scanned images of the van, ICA said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The driver of the van, a 36-year-old Malaysian man, was referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

ICA said the Malaysian-registered van is liable to be forfeited as it was used in the commission of an offence.

It added that the method of concealment used to hide the contraband cigarettes was a cause for concern as similar methods could be used to smuggle security items into Singapore. It says on its website that security-related items include fireworks, night sticks, flick knives and air-soft guns.