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Vietnamese fined S$8,000 for attempting to move S$380,000 to Singapore undeclared

SINGAPORE — A 25-year-old Vietnamese mobile phone salesman who did not declare that he was carrying S$380,000 in cash in his baggage when entering Singapore was fined S$8,000 on Friday (Jan 18).

Nguyen Thanh Thuy had $380,000 in his baggage when entering Singapore and the money belonged to his employer, who instructed him to buy mobile phones from a supplier here.

Nguyen Thanh Thuy had $380,000 in his baggage when entering Singapore and the money belonged to his employer, who instructed him to buy mobile phones from a supplier here.

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SINGAPORE — A 25-year-old Vietnamese mobile phone salesman who did not declare that he was carrying S$380,000 in cash in his baggage when entering Singapore was fined S$8,000 on Friday (Jan 18).

Nguyen Thanh Thuy was found with the money at Changi Airport Terminal 1 at about 11am on Jan 30 last year, but was unable to fully explain to a baggage screening officer why he was carrying that amount of cash.

He was later charged under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, which states that the highest amount he was able to carry into Singapore without making a declaration was S$20,000.

Police investigations found that the money belonged to Nguyen’s employer, who had instructed him to buy mobile phones from a supplier here. These phones would then be sent to Vietnam.

Court documents stated that Nguyen was working for a shop known as 897 Huy Phuong in Ho Chi Minh.

In her mitigation plea, his lawyer, Ms LF Violet Netto, said: “Our client sincerely regrets his foolishness and lack of judgement in committing the stated offence, as he should have abided by the laws of Singapore.”

Ms Netto said that her client has lived in Singapore for a number of years and has never fallen afoul of the law. Nguyen earns an “honest living” and sends a large portion of his earnings to his family in Vietnam as they are “struggling to make ends meet”, the lawyer added.

Ms Netto asked for a S$7,000 fine, while the prosecution sought a S$8,000 penalty.

Nguyen could have been fined up to S$50,000 or jailed up to three years.

After he was sentenced, his lawyer asked for the seized cash to be returned to Nguyen. District Judge Ng Peng Hong granted the application and said that the money should be “released to the rightful owner”.

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