Birthday cakes, money bouquet among undeclared goods found at Singapore checkpoints

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05 Oct 2026 09:35PM

SINGAPORE: A total of 60 travellers were caught for failing to declare and pay taxes on goods brought into Singapore.

The cases were detected during a multi-agency enforcement operation conducted by the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Customs between Sep 22 and Sep 28, the agencies said on Monday (Oct 5).

The operation was part of enforcement efforts to detect and enforce against non-compliance with Singapore’s cross-border cash reporting regime and other illegal cross-border activities, the agencies added.

Nearly 13,000 travellers and 350 vehicles were checked, with more than 14,000 pieces of luggage and hand-carry bags scanned or searched across the week-long operation.

CUSTOMS OFFENCES

The 60 travellers caught had failed to declare and pay taxes on cigarettes, tobacco products, liquor exceeding their duty-free concession and goods exceeding Goods and Services Tax (GST) import relief.

The total duty and GST evaded amounted to S$7,810 (US$6,100), with composition sums of S$17,705 imposed. 

The cases included a traveller carrying multiple packages of mooncakes, two boxes of birthday cakes and a money bouquet intended for commercial purposes. 

Another traveller had undeclared luxury bags for personal use, while a third had undeclared jewellery for personal use.

All offences were compounded, the authorities said.

Those found guilty of fraudulently evading duty or GST can be fined up to 20 times the amount evaded and jailed for up to one year.

“It is the responsibility of all travellers to make accurate and complete declarations of all goods exceeding their duty-free concession and GST import relief in their possession,” the authorities said.

Declaration and payment for goods can be made up to three days before arrival online or on the MyICA mobile app. Alternatively, travellers may also use the customs declaration kiosks located at air, land and sea checkpoints and terminals upon arrival.

All cigarette and tobacco products must comply with the standardised packaging requirements. Non-compliant products will be disposed of at the checkpoints, the police, ICA and Singapore Customs said.

UNDECLARED CASH

Separately, seven travellers were also detected bringing cash exceeding S$20,000 into Singapore without declaration.

On Sep 22, a 46-year-old male foreign traveller attempted to bring S$31,000 into Singapore without declaration.

The next day, a 40-year-old female foreign traveller tried to bring about S$51,000 into Singapore without declaration.

On Sep 27, a 44-year-old male foreign traveller attempted to bring about S$23,800 into Singapore without declaration.

The following day, four travellers attempted to bring in cash totalling about S$96,400 into Singapore. They consisted of two 41-year-old male foreign travellers carrying S$30,000 and S$20,400 respectively and a 51-year-old female traveller and a 52-year-old male foreign traveller carrying about S$46,000 collectively. 

Two of the seven travellers were issued warnings and three of them were issued composition fines amounting to S$13,000 in total.

The remaining two travellers had their cash seized for further investigation.

The authorities said travellers are required to report the cross-border physical movement of cash or bearer negotiable instruments if the total value exceeds S$20,000, or its equivalent in foreign currency. Travellers must submit a declaration electronically within 72 hours before entering or leaving Singapore. 

Anyone who fails to report or accurately report the movement of cash or bearer negotiable instruments exceeding S$20,000 may be fined up to S$50,000, jailed for up to three years, or both. A confiscation order may also be issued for any part of the cash relating to the offence. 

“Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains a top priority for ICA,” the authorities said.

“ICA will continue to leverage technology and data analytics to strengthen our targeting and detection capabilities, as well as work with the relevant authorities to detect and deter such contraband smuggling activities at the checkpoints.”