25 drivers lured by online ads caught for smuggling cigarettes in 2018

SINGAPORE — Four hundred dollars to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes from Malaysia into Singapore — that was what Singaporean Law Hwa Peng, 45, was offered after he responded to a Facebook post advertising a “high payment for drivers”.

Law accepted the offer and was provided with a car with modified compartments that he drove into Malaysia to be loaded with a total of 144 cartons and 1,143 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

However, Law’s ruse was discovered and he was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint when he attempted to drive the car into Singapore on Nov 16 last year.

The duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded by Law amounted to about S$22,050 and S$1,610 respectively.

Law was sentenced by the State Courts to 20 weeks’ jail for his role in the smuggling operation.

He was one of 25 drivers caught last year, lured by online ads on social media platforms — such as Facebook and WeChat — into smuggling duty-unpaid cigarettes.

The ads offered a payment of between S$100 and S$600 for every smuggling trip into Singapore, said the Singapore Customs in a news release on Thursday (Feb 7).

Like Law, the other drivers were also sentenced to imprisonment terms of between 10 weeks and six months.

Drivers hoping to make a quick buck by smuggling duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore should “think twice”, warned Singapore Customs Assistant Director-General (Intelligence & Investigation) Yeo Sew Meng.

He advised the public to not fall prey to such ads, adding that firm action will be taken against those who respond to the ads and smuggle cigarettes into Singapore.

In its statement, Singapore Customs reminded the public that buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are “serious offences”.

Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Their vehicles can also be forfeited.

Those with information on smuggling activities can call the Singapore Customs hotline at 1800-2330000, e-mail customs_intelligence [at] customs.gov.sg, or make a report via the Customs@SG mobile app.