A Singapore woman was arrested on Tuesday, April 16 for allegedly smuggling cigarettes into the Republic by hiding them inside a packet of sanitary pads and concealing them in her clothes in the bag.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) stated that one of their officers stationed at Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) stopped the 41-year-old woman as they noticed anomalies in the scanned images of a backpack and a piece of luggage belonging to that woman.
Later, when the ICA officers searched the luggage, they found seven packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, which were concealed in a packet of sanitary pad that was hidden inside the bag. ICA has referred this case to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.
"These methods of concealment are a cause for concern as similar methods may be used by people with ill-intent to smuggle security items into Singapore," ICA stated adding that the authority will continue to conduct intense security checks to prevent such cases of smuggling.
Whenever an offender is found committing customs offences at the checkpoints, then he or she may be penalised as per the following Singapore Customs rules:
| Type of Offence | Composition Amount |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of cigarettes | 1st offence: S$200 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof2nd offence: S$500 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof3rd offence: S$800 per packet or per 20 sticks of part thereof |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of dutiable goods other than cigarettes | 1st offence: 10 times the duty amount2nd offence: 15 times the duty amount3rd offence: 20 times the duty amount subject to a minimum of S$50 |
| Failure to declare or making an incorrect declaration of non-dutiable goods | 10 times the Goods and Services Tax (GST) amount subject to a minimum of S$50 |
| Leaving Singapore in a Singapore-registered motor vehicle with less than three-quarter tank full of motor fuel this applies to petrol, CNG and petrol-CNG supply tanks. With effect from 1 April 2019, the three-quarter tank rule will also apply to all Singapore-registered diesel-powered vehicles. | A. Motor Vehicles (Sedan, SUV, MPV, Hatchback, Convertible, etc.)1st offence: S$1002nd offence: S$3003rd offence: S$500B. Large-Sized Motor Vehicles (Goods Vehicles, Trucks, Buses, Vans, etc.) with effect from 1 April 2019 1st offence: S$300 2nd offence: S$400 3rd offence: S$500 The driver may be required to turn back to Singapore to fill the fuel supply tank to three-quarter tank full before he is allowed to leave Singapore with the motor vehicle. The driver may be charged in court if the fuel gauge of his motor vehicle has tampered. |
