SINGAPORE : More than 2,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden in the secret compartment of a Malaysia-registered factory bus entering Singapore on Monday morning.
The bus was stopped at the Woodlands Checkpoint at about 5.10am for further checks, after a preliminary inspection by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found it to be suspicious.
A thorough check followed and more than 2,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes, each containing 200 sticks, were found beneath the floorboard of the bus.
The total customs and GST payable amounted to S$156,000.
The driver, a 35-year-old Malaysian, has been referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigations.
Just 24 hours earlier, another Malaysia-registered bus attempted to smuggle 400 cartons of contraband cigarettes using the same method.
The cigarettes, also found hidden under the floorboard, were estimated to cost S$30,000 in customs duty and GST.
On questioning, the 32-year-old bus driver said he was paid RM500 to deliver them.
An hour later, that same morning, a Malaysia-registered car was stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint for further checks by ICA officers.
On being told to open his car's bonnet, the 22-year-old Malaysian driver panicked and dashed towards the checkpoint exit.
Checkpoint officers gave chase and intercepted him.
240 cartons of contraband cigarettes were retrieved from within the bonnet, dashboard and fuel tank of the car.
The total customs duty and GST payable amounted to S$18,000.
Meanwhile, at 8.50pm on Sunday night, another Malaysia-registered car was found to have 850 DVDs hidden in a specially-constructed compartment in the rear bumper of the vehicle.
The discs were suspected to be obscene and uncensored.
The 26-year-old Malaysian Chinese driver claimed that he was promised RM200 to smuggle the discs into Singapore.
The driver, as well as the exhibits, were handed over to the Police for further investigations.
