Five men were arrested over alleged ship-to-shore cigarette smuggling near Marina South Wharf on 13 October 2026, with officers seizing 238 cartons and 120 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
The Singapore Police Force and Singapore Customs announced the arrests in a joint statement on 15 October. The suspects comprise four Indonesians and a Singaporean, aged between 30 and 47.
Arrests On Shore And Aboard A Vessel
Officers from the Police Coast Guard and Police Intelligence Department conducted the operation.
Police said a 44-year-old Indonesian man was arrested on shore. Three other Indonesian men, aged between 30 and 36, were arrested aboard a Singapore-flagged vessel moored in the area.
A 47-year-old Singaporean man was also arrested for his alleged involvement in transporting the cigarettes.
Vessel To Be Seized For Investigation
The cigarette-related offences have been referred to Singapore Customs. Authorities said the vessel allegedly used in the offences will be seized for investigation.
The joint release stated that offences involving duty-unpaid cigarettes, including buying, selling, transporting and possessing them, fall under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.
Offenders can face fines of up to 20 times the duty and GST evaded, up to two years in jail, or both.
