00:00Don't assume that Singapore's customs are just for show.
00:03Want to smuggle through customs
00:05Even hiding smuggled goods inside unexpected tires...
00:08They couldn't escape their sharp eyes.
00:11Singapore immigration and checkpoints were found inside a truck tire earlier this month.
00:15More than a thousand packs of smuggled cigarettes were seized into the country.
00:18Law enforcement officers were seen using tools to pry open the edge of the tire.
00:22The cigarette pack inside suddenly vanished without a trace.
00:25Authorities seized a total of 1,380 packs of smuggled cigarettes.
00:28The 23-year-old Malaysian man involved in the case was arrested.
00:37In fact, there are similar cases of smuggling cigarettes into Singapore without paying taxes.
00:40This is nothing new.
00:42Last month, the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority also conducted a similar operation at the Foglan Checkpoint.
00:46A pickup truck attempting to smuggle cigarettes was spotted.
00:49A 31-year-old Malaysian man was arrested.
00:52In the same month, a case of smuggled cigarettes evading taxes was also intercepted.
00:55A batch of concrete was loaded onto a Malaysian-registered lorry.
00:594,500 cartons of evaded cigarettes were shipped.
01:02For those smuggling suspects who were caught
01:03Usually in Singapore Customs Act
01:06And being prosecuted under the Goods and Services Tax Act
01:08If the total weight of smuggled tobacco exceeds 2 kilograms
01:12Fines can no longer be used to resolve disputes in Singapore courts.
01:15Sentencing is mandatory imprisonment.
01:18Maximum sentence: 6 years
01:19Meanwhile, the means of transportation used in smuggling
01:22For example, motorcycles, private cars, or large trucks.
01:24Regardless of who the car owner is
01:25The court will confiscate them permanently in accordance with the law.
01:29The reason why these kinds of cigarette smuggling cases keep emerging is...
01:32One of the reasons is that the Singapore government wants to control the smoking rate.
01:35The policy of implementing extremely strict high taxes for a long time
01:39Entering 2026
01:41The Singapore government has increased taxes on tobacco products by 20%.
01:44Because of the tax on this pack of cigarettes
01:46Nearly two stars added
01:48Converted to Malaysian Ringgit, it is approximately RM6,200,000.
01:50That explains why the price of legal cigarettes remains high.
01:53Tobacco prices in neighboring countries, especially Malaysia
01:56A huge price gap has been formed
01:59This prompts smuggling rings to take risks in order to earn huge profits.
02:04The price gap in cigarettes created by Singapore's high tax rate policy
02:08This has become an incentive for some Malaysians to repeatedly take risks.
02:11But no matter how new the smuggling methods are...
02:13How well were the tax-evaded cigarettes hidden?
02:16Knowledge proof will ultimately not escape the net of punishment.
02:18So never take chances.
02:21Thanks to Roger for sponsoring this episode's featured short video.
02:23A compilation of the top ten most popular topics from both domestic and international sources.
02:55Please don't hesitate to sponsor.
