PUBLISHED ONOctober 31, 2024 5:03 AMByBhavya RawatThree international students were found to be evading taxes on cigarettes by smuggling them in stuffed toys.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 30), Singapore Customs said that a two-day operation from Oct 22 to 23 uncovered seven parcels with cigarettes concealed in plush toys declared as "decorations".
Officers had cracked down on the unique smuggling tactic following a referral from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
A 21-year-old Chinese national was arrested at Tao Ching Road with 70 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in four parcels, said Singapore Customs.
He had allegedly received the parcels on behalf of a friend overseas, who instructed him to deliver them or arrange for them to be collected by buyers in Singapore. The man was charged in the State Courts on Oct 25.
Two Chinese nationals, aged 22 and 28, were also issued composition sums of $3,000 and $2,500 for importing the other three parcels, the government agency said, adding that all three men are student-pass holders.
A total of 115 packets and 19 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. The men evaded about $1,279 in duties and Goods and Services Tax.
Singapore Customs also urged the public to stay vigilant against smuggling attempts that undermine the integrity of Singapore's tax system and encouraged reporting any suspicious activity via its online form.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
