SINGAPORE: It was a routine day at Woodlands Checkpoint, until ICA officers made a surprising discovery that would leave many Singaporeans talking. Hidden under a car seat, stuffed in luggage, and tucked inside a backpack were stacks of Brunei dollars worth almost S$200,000 in total.
The incident happened on October 23, 2025, when officers directed a Malaysia-registered car for further checks. What seemed like a regular crossing turned serious when they uncovered the undeclared cash. The 54-year-old Malaysian driver claimed he was helping someone else bring the money into Singapore, but he hadn’t made any declaration, which constitutes a serious offence under Singapore law. The case has since been handed over to the Singapore Police Force for investigation.
A simple rule, often forgotten
Many travellers don’t realise that declaring large amounts of cash isn’t just a formality, but it’s actually a legal requirement. Anyone entering or leaving Singapore with more than S$20,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) must make a declaration within 72 hours through the MyICA Mobile app or ICA’s website. It’s not illegal to carry that much money, but failing to declare it is.
And as this case shows, even if you’re just helping someone else, or, as the post stated, “transporting the money into Singapore on behalf of another party,” you’re still the one responsible once it’s in your vehicle or luggage.
Read related: After 11 persons are caught in 5 days, ICA reminds travellers to declare when bringing cash exceeding S$20,000
Curious, confused, and concerned netizens react
News of the incident quickly sparked chatter online on Facebook. Some netizens were blunt in their reactions, with one user commenting, “Singapore has become a money laundering city,” reflecting public concern over how often these cases seem to happen.
Others wondered why anyone would take the risk, with one commenting, “How difficult is it to declare?” This commentary points to people’s laziness, even when the system already makes it simple for tourists to declare things like money when entering or leaving Singapore.
A few couldn’t resist injecting some humour into the mix. “Maybe the driver wanted to go to the casino for betting,” joked one commenter.
However, what caught even more attention was the type of currency involved — the Brunei dollar (BND). According to the post by the ICA, they stated that the seized BND $200,000 was equivalent to S$199,840. This led to many Singaporeans getting puzzled, asking questions like “Brunei dollar depreciate?” and “What happened to the Currency Interchangeability Agreement?”
Some assumed that Brunei and Singapore dollars are always identical in value, which is mostly true under the long-standing Currency Interchangeability Agreement signed in 1967. However, minor differences may still appear due to handling fees or bank rates, which explains why the value quoted in the report wasn’t exactly 1:1.
Why this matters to everyone crossing the border
If you’re someone who frequently drives or rides across the Causeway, this case hits close to home. It’s a reminder that even a “small oversight,” like not declaring money or goods properly, can land you in serious trouble.
At the end of the day, cases like this remind us that the rules exist to protect all of us, not to make travel harder, but to keep Singapore safe and trusted, and maybe, just maybe, it’s also a reminder for travellers: when in doubt, declare. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
