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SINGAPORE: Five men, aged 37 to 51, have been jailed for smuggling chewing tobacco worth S $ 213,000 into Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Tuesday (September 22).
Officials from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) discovered more than 53,200 bags of chewing tobacco hidden in Malaysian-registered bowser trucks at the Tuas checkpoint on September 7.
The tobacco was found in black polythene bags hidden in various parts of the trucks, such as bunks and engine compartments, HSA said in a news release.
The packages contained Khaini tobacco, a type of chewing tobacco that consists of a wet, dark brown tobacco leaf mixed with dull lime or spices, the authority said.
The compartment under the bed bunks (left) and the engine compartment of a bowser truck where black polyethylene packages were found (right). (Photos: HSA)
“HSA investigations revealed that the smugglers used a similar mode of operation in their smuggling activities,” he added.
The five Malaysian nationals had been ordered to proceed to designated car parks in Singapore to deliver the chewing tobacco to a contact person.
It is illegal to import, distribute and sell chewing tobacco in Singapore.
The men were sentenced to between five and 16 weeks in jail.
The import, distribution and sale of imitation tobacco products such as shisha, smokeless tobacco and chewing tobacco are prohibited in Singapore. Anyone convicted of the crime faces a jail term of up to six months, a fine of up to S $ 10,000, or both. The penalties are double for repeat offenders.
