SINGAPORE – Some 77,500 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Tuas Checkpoint in the largest such haul this year to date.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, ICA said that the total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded for the duty-unpaid cigarettes was $661,850 and $64,774.50 respectively.

Another 1,360kg of chewing tobacco was also found by ICA officers when they foiled the smuggling attempt on Oct 20.

The contraband goods were hidden within a consignment of adhesives on board a Malaysia-registered lorry, according to a TikTok video posted by ICA on Monday.

ICA said its officers had noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the lorry and conducted additional checks. Six pallets of contraband items were subsequently found within the middle section of the lorry.

The case has been referred to Singapore Customs and the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. A 39-year-old Malaysian man has been charged.

ICA said: “As guardians of our borders, ICA will continue to keep a watchful eye to thwart smuggling attempts through Singapore’s borders.”

On Sept 13, ICA seized 75 cartons and 449 packets of assorted duty-unpaid contraband cigarettes from a multi-purpose vehicle at Woodlands Checkpoint. The cigarettes were hidden within the driver’s seat floor mat, spare tyre compartment and other parts of the vehicle.

Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and GST Act.

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