S’porean woman, 32, didn't declare jewellery brought into S'pore to evade S$946 GST, fined S$11,400
Fined.
A Singaporean woman, Nabilah Binte Jaafar Al-Kathiri, aged 32, was fined S$11,400 for attempting to smuggle jewellery into Singapore to avoid paying S$946 in Goods and Services Tax (GST). Nabilah pleaded guilty to one charge of fraudulent GST evasion and faced the confiscation of 19 pieces of jewellery and related items on August 5.
The court ordered the forfeiture of the jewellery, valued at approximately S$10,512, along with bags and boxes used in the offense. Nabilah entered Singapore on April 5, 2026, at the Woodlands Checkpoint on a Malaysia-registered vehicle. She falsely informed Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers that she had no goods to declare, despite knowing that GST was applicable to her jewellery.
Customs officers discovered 23 pieces of jewellery, consisting of 21 gold pieces and two titanium pieces, concealed in 22 parcels within a polymer bag in the vehicle's boot. The investigation traced Nabilah's residency to Malaysia, where she operated an online business selling gold and titanium jewellery to Singaporean customers through platforms like Facebook and Telegram.
The seized jewellery was categorized into 19 items intended for commercial profit and four pieces as personal gifts. Under the Customs Act 1960 and the GST Act 1993, fraudulent GST or duty evasion constitutes a serious offense, with potential fines up to 20 times the evaded amount and a maximum of 12 months imprisonment. Singapore Customs urged travelers to declare and pay duties and GST via the Customs@SG web application or at checkpoints.
The public was encouraged to report smuggling activities or GST/GD evasion to customs through the provided link.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
