A Malaysia-registered lorry carrying concrete piles turned out to have a rather different kind of cargo underneath.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found 4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed beneath a consignment of concrete piles at Tuas Checkpoint on 4 September 2026.
A 26-year-old Malaysian man was arrested in connection with the case.
Anomalies Detected in Images of Lorry
According to ICA, officers detected anomalies in screened images of the Malaysia-registered lorry and directed it for enhanced checks.
During the inspection, ICA’s Search and Examination officers discovered the 4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden underneath the concrete piles.
Footage released by ICA on Tuesday, 15 September, showed officers using lashing straps to pull boxes out from beneath the cargo.
The cigarette cartons had been wrapped in black plastic before being concealed under the concrete piles.
The 26-year-old Malaysian man was subsequently arrested, while both the seized items and the suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.
Offenders Can Face Jail and Heavy Fines
Under Singapore’s Customs Act and Goods and Services Tax Act, offences involving duty-unpaid goods include buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or otherwise dealing with such goods.
Singapore Customs states that offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used to commit such offences can also be forfeited.
ICA recorded 57,400 contraband cases at Singapore’s checkpoints in 2025, up 30.6 per cent from 43,900 cases in 2024, according to its latest annual statistics. The figure covers contraband generally and is not limited to cigarettes.
