37 arrested in nine months for selling contraband cigarettes in HDB neighbourhoods

There has been a rise in the number of offenders caught in possession of contraband cigarettes, and selling them in the neighbourhood. 37 were caught from January to September this year. In two separate enforcement operations by the Singapore Customs on Sep. 23, officers raided two units at Corporation Drive and Ang Mok Kio Avenue 4. A total of 765 packets of cigarettes – amounting to $7,850 of evaded duty and GST – were seized. Flat-owners Sujono Bin Kassan and Teo Siew Choo, both 51, were arrested for peddling the cigarettes. Under the Customs Act and the GST Act, offenders are liable to a fine of maximum 40 times the amount of duty evaded, or a jail term up to six years, or both. First-time and repeat offenders of tobacco-related offences face at least $2,000 and $4,000 of court fines respectively. Repeat offenders in possession of more than two kilogrammes of tobacco products will also face mandatory imprisonment. Photo: Singapore Customs' Facebook page  Read Also: $62,000 worth of drugs seized in last week's CNB operations Genius tries to bribe police with cigarettes after arrest