A 49-year-old work permit holder, Wang Maozhou, was arrested for possessing 24 cartons and nine packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes following a raid at a poultry processing factory in Senoko Crescent on 5 July 2019.
Singapore Customs stated in a Facebook post on Friday (12 July) that the Chinese national purchased the duty-unpaid cigarettes via the WeChat platform to sell to his work-place colleagues and others at a profit.
According to the authority, the duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $2,120 and $150 respectively.
Wang was sentenced to 10 weeks’ imprisonment by the State Courts on 10 July 2019.
Singapore Customs noted that the follow-up search was conducted at Wang’s residence on the same day, saying that its officers found six packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes belonging to his housemate, a 33-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident, who was subsequently issued with a composition sum of $1,800.
“Buying, selling, conveying, storing, keeping, having in possession or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act,” the authority stressed.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years.
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