SINGAPORE - More than 7,000 sachets of chewing tobacco were found hidden inside boxes of curry puffs at Tuas Checkpoint last Saturday (June 29).

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that its officers had stopped a Malaysia-registered van that was heading towards Singapore for further checks.

The van carried a consignment that was declared as curry puffs, but 7,500 sachets of chewing tobacco were found hidden beneath the pastries.

The case, which involved a 32-year-old male Malaysian driver and a 30-year-old male Malaysian passenger, was referred to the Health Sciences Authority for follow-up action, said ICA.

Various ways of smuggling items into Singapore have been uncovered by ICA recently.

Last week, about 30kg of duty-unpaid loose tobacco was found during a baggage check at Changi Airport Terminal 2. The tobacco had been disguised as Chinese tea leaves.

The week before, a refrigerated container that was declared as containing fresh cabbages and potatoes at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station was found to contain bottles of duty-unpaid beer instead.

In March, 10 game machines containing a total of 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized by ICA officers after it was discovered that the interior of the machines was hollow.