Man accused of smuggling 100 boxes of cigarettes for distribution in public housing area

SINGAPORE: Local authorities caught Chinese passport holder red-handed in a public housing estate for allegedly smuggling hundreds of cigarettes that were placed in the trunk of his Malaysian-registered car. The incident occurred at a multi-story car park located in Choa Chu Kang. 

A 45-year-old resident reported to Shin Min Daily News that a tenant notified her, stating that police officers suddenly appeared at the parking lot across the street and were looking for a car. According to what she saw, there were several large plastic bags that were found in the trunk of the car, and a man was handcuffed at the scene. 

When reporters arrived at the scene, they saw several cartons of smuggled cigarettes around the vehicle. Furthermore, three customs officers were counting the cigarettes on the ground before putting them inside cardboard boxes. 

It was revealed that at least 150 cartons of smuggled cigarettes were gathered at the scene, alongside the Chinese passport of the suspect. 

More investigations indicated that the man was arrested at a secluded location, and it did not attract any attention of nearby residents.

In similar news about smuggling, there was a report where dogs were rescued after a man was caught red-handed at a checkpoint for smuggling. 

The 22-year-old suspect faced 11 charges under the Animals and Birds Act and has pleaded guilty to four of them. He was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment. 

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