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15/07/2008
Contraband Cigarettes Now Carry A Fine Of $500 A Packet - And Some Of The Lengths The Smugglers Will Go!
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Smugglers of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore, are nothing if not creative. From employing methods such as concealing the contraband smokes within laminated floorboards, to covering the load with live prawns, and even earlier this month hiding the illegal load in the spare tyre compartment of a car boot and then filling the boot with live frogs (apparently due for consumption). Needless to say, the frogs were no longer alive by the time the vehicle was inspected at the Woodlands immigration checkpoint.
The amount of money that these 'couriers' receive for a load of contraband cigarettes is a pittance in comparison to the potential life-changing fine/s now being imposed. For the consumption-frog offender, the total payment he would have received upon delivery was just RM600 (S$251).
Under new regulations announced this week by Singapore customs, even first-time offenders caught with duty-unpaid cigarettes anywhere on the island will now be fined $500 per packet.
A per packet fine is described by customs as a 'composition sum', and was initially implemented in hotspots such as Geylang and Yew Tee in Oct 2007. The 'composition sum' will now be extended throughout the island, as announced in the Singapore Customs press release on Monday of this week.
Aussie Pete for more - inlcuding the 'Crazy Consumption Frog' smuggling method.
23:34 Posted by Peter Breitkreutz in East and South-East Asia | Permalink | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | Email this | Tags: singapore contraband cigarettes fine customs
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Comments
The more they force the issue, the deeper underground they'll drive the contraband trade.
Prohibition doesn't work. It causes "extreme shortages" because of a high degree of risk in smuggling. This means the people who'll have a go at these enterprises are, let's call them "hard core" types--- not your average quiet neighbour. This makes the actvitity of organised crime STRONGER.
The government makes criminals BETTER.
Nice hey?
Posted by: matilah_singapura | 17/07/2008