Singapore foils attempt to smuggle 3,000 sachets of chewing tobacco in car panels

(Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Singapore immigration authorities caught a 26-year-old Malaysian attempting to smuggle 3,000 sachets of chewing tobacco into the country via the Tuas checkpoint last Friday.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said officers became suspicious after noticing several anomalies in the window panels of the car, which was registered in Malaysia.

They discovered that the door panels had been modified, with the sachets hidden behind them.

ICA said the case was referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.

“ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles to prevent smuggling attempts of undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives or other contrabands,” it said.

Last month, ICA found 7,500 sachets of chewing tobacco hidden beneath stacks of curry puffs in a Malaysia-registered van, also at the Tuas checkpoint.

The case, involving two Malaysians aged 30 and 32, was also referred to the Health Sciences Authority. - FMT