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The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) seized some 77,500 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 1,360kg of chewing tobacco at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct. 20 in the largest such haul this year to date.

The items were smuggled into Singapore via a Malaysia-registered lorry.

A 39-year-old Malaysian man has been charged.

ICA said the total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded for the duty-unpaid cigarettes was S$661,850 and S$64,774.50 respectively.

A video by ICA on Nov. 21 said ICA officers had noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the lorry and directed it aside for closer inspection.

The contraband goods were found hidden within a consignment of adhesives on board the Malaysia-registered lorry.

Six pallets of contraband items were found within the middle section of the lorry.

The case has been referred to Singapore Customs and the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.

Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered offences under the Customs Act and 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.

Top images via ICA