2 men arrested for entering S'pore with 300 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, fiberglass boat seized

Unlawful entry.

Nigel Chua | November 18, 2020, 03:39 PM

Two Indonesian men entered Singapore unlawfully with 300 cartons of duty unpaid cigarettes, and were promptly arrested within two hours.

This was after one of the men was spotted by a National Parks Board (NParks) contractor near Changi Exhibition Centre, who notified the Police Coast Guard.

A search was conducted by officers from the Police Coast Guard, Bedok Police Division and the Gurkha Contingent and two men, aged 25 and 58, were arrested.

Six boxes containing 300 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, one outboard engine, and one fiberglass craft were also seized.

Photo via SPF.

Photo via SPF.

Photo via SPF.

Photo via SPF.

"This is one good example of a member of the public working closely with the police to safeguard our waters and sea borders against crime and security threats. The alertness of the NParks contractor enabled the police to swiftly apprehend the offenders," said Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Cheang Keng Keong, who is the Commander of the Police Coast Guard.

The two men were charged under the Immigration Act for unlawful entry, and will be investigated for possessing duty-unpaid cigarettes.

They face a jail term of up to six months and a minimum of three strokes of the cane for illegal entry.

For possessing duty-unpaid goods, the maximum penalty is a jail term of up to six years, a fine of up to 40 times the amount of tax evaded, or both.

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Top image via SPF