165% jump in number of people arrested for buying contraband cigarettes
Posted: 30 January 2008 1735 hrs

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SINGAPORE : A total of 6,012 people was fined last year for buying contraband cigarettes. That was a 165 percent jump from the 2,268 who were fined in 2006.

Singapore Customs has attributed the increased number to stepped-up island-wide raids against buyers of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

30 percent of them were arrested at hotspot areas like Geylang and Yew Tee.

To further deter demand for illegal cigarettes, the Singapore Customs said it increased the composition sum in November last year from S$200 to S$500 for a packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes.

In its report card for last year, it also said enforcement efforts to bring smuggling syndicates to task have paid off.

More than 23,000 people were caught and 4.4 million packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized.

The Singapore Customs said it would continue to step up enforcement action against syndicates and end-consumers to keep the situation in check. - CNA/ms