Traveller carrying undeclared $51k into Singapore among 67 caught during checks at checkpoints

SINGAPORE – Seven travellers carrying more than $20,000 in undeclared cash each into Singapore were caught by the authorities, in a week-long enforcement operation at the borders.

Almost 13,000 travellers and 350 vehicles were checked, and over 14,000 pieces of luggage and hand-carry bags were scanned or searched from Sept 22 to Sept 28 by the police, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Customs.

In a media release on Oct 5, the three agencies said the joint effort is part of ongoing efforts to detect and enforce against those who flout Singapore’s Cross-Border Cash Reporting Regime and take part in other illegal cross-border activities.

Three of the seven were issued fines totalling $13,000, two of them were issued warning letters, while the remaining two travellers had their cash seized for further investigations, according to the authorities.

The amounts of undeclared cash ranged between $20,400 and $51,000, with the higher amount found on a female foreign traveller, aged 40, on Sept 23.

Four of the seven were caught on Sept 28, with about $96,400 in undeclared cash in total.

It is a statutory requirement to report the cross-border physical movement of Cash or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (CBNIs) if the total value exceeds $20,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency, the authorities said.

Travellers must submit an electronic declaration within 72 hours before entering or leaving Singapore through the MyICA app by selecting “Submit Cash (CBNI) Declaration”, or through ICA’s website.

Offenders can be fined up to $50,000 and/or jailed for up to three years. The cash may also be confiscated.

Separately, 60 travellers were caught for failing to declare and pay taxes on:

• cigarettes and/or tobacco products,

• liquors exceeding their duty-free concession, and

• goods exceeding their Goods and Services Tax (GST) import relief

The total duty and GST evaded totalled to $7,810, and fines were issued amounting to $17,705.

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

Another traveller was caught with undeclared luxury bags for personal use, and a third traveller was caught with undeclared jewellery for personal use.

Offenders can be fined up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, and face jail time.

Travellers are responsible for making accurate and complete declarations of all goods exceeding their duty-free concession and GST import relief, the authorities said.

They should declare and make payment for such goods up to three days before arrival using the Customs@SG Web Application, or on the MyICA app.

Travellers can also use the Customs Declaration Kiosks at the air, land and sea checkpoints and terminals to declare and make payment for their goods on arrival.