Moon Mountain cigarettes are illegal

Moon Mountain cigarettes are illegal

Cigarette-smuggling syndicates are now resorting to selling a brand of contraband cigarettes packaged as legitimate ones.

What's worse: The cigarettes which bear the brand "Moon Mountain" even come in packets showing the usual pictorial health warning.

Singapore Customs said in a statement yesterday that the cigarettes are currently not supplied by any local tobacco importer or wholesaler licensed by the Health Sciences Authority.

Investigations revealed that the cigarettes were smuggled into Singapore by syndicates. Singapore Customs said it has been keeping close tabs on their activities.

On the evening of March 11, an operation mounted resulted in the seizure of 32,000 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, which included 16,500 packets of Moon Mountain cigarettes. Four men three Singaporeans and a Chinese national were arrested. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded on the contraband amounted to almost $300,000.

Two Singapore-registered vehicles a car and a truck were also seized in the operation.

The operation took place in Woodlands, where officers were keeping tabs on a truck suspected to be loaded with duty-unpaid cigarettes. The four men were soon spotted and when officers moved in to arrest them, the Chinese national and a Singaporean man attempted to flee. All four were arrested subsequently.

Singapore Customs warns that Moon Mountain cigarettes are illegal in Singapore and members of the public should not buy or be in possession of the cigarettes.

-News courtesy of Omy-