Singapore border guards have intercepted more than 3000 packets of cigarettes disguised as a shipment of plastics.

On Wednesday evening, a truck driven by a 57-year-old male Singaporean was stopped by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers for checks at the Jurong Port Main Gate. The truck was carrying a consignment declared to be plasticware. It was directed to the Jurong Scanning Station for radiographic scanning, where officers observed anomalies in the scanned images.

A total of 3100 cartons of contraband cigarettes were seized from the truck.

The potential duty and retail Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about S$284,800 and S$25,890. The driver, plasticware consignment, contraband cigarettes and lorry were handed over to Singapore Customs for investigations. The vehicle used in the commission of such offences is liable to be forfeited.

“Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore’s security,” said an ICA spokesperson in a statement.

“The security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore.”