Man arrested for evading cigarette duty and GST worth over $330k

SINGAPORE - When customs officers saw a man with his van door open during a law enforcement operation, they raided the vehicle and found 96 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

They also found another 1,850 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes packed in brown carton boxes in another van parked next to the first one, in a carpark in Marsiling Road.

Officers arrested the man, 29, and 1,946 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. They also seized both vans.

The man evaded duty of $305,756 and goods and services tax (GST) of $25,992, the Singapore Customs said in a statement on Friday.

Investigations found that the man allegedly bought these cigarettes from someone else through a social messaging platform to sell. The seller’s identity is unknown.

The man’s trial is under way.

The statement said: “Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the 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. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences can also be forfeited.

Those with information on smuggling activities, or evasion of duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-233-0000 or e-mail

customs_intelligence@customs.gov.sg

.