Duo fined almost S$4m each for diverting duty-unpaid alcohol meant for export into local market

SINGAPORE — Two men were fined $3,984,000 each — or in default 54 months and one week of imprisonment — on Thursday (March 10) under the Customs Act for fraudulent evasion of duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Song Hock Kee, 55, and Tan Lip Cheong, 51, each pleaded guilty to 18 charges, with another 30 charges taken into consideration in the sentencing, said the Singapore Customs in a press release on Monday (March 14).

Song, the director of Windemac, had submitted two permit declarations to Singapore Customs for the export of 51,558 bottles of liquor, wine and beer in February last year.

With the intention of selling this alchohol to their customers in Singapore at a profit, Song worked with Tan, the manager of Windemac, to retain 9,810 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor and beer. The total duty and GST evaded exceeded S$890,000.

Investigations also showed that the duo had committed the same offence on nine previous occasions.

Under the Customs Act, any person who is guilty of dealing with dutiable goods with the intention to defraud the Government of any duty and GST will be liable on conviction to a fine of up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded.