Peddlers hawking contraband smokes, chewing tobacco in Sg Kadut, Mandai

Peddlers of duty-unpaid cigarettes and chewing tobacco are pushing their trade from dimly lit areas around workers' dormitories to park connectors around Sungei Kadut and Mandai Road.

- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

Residents living nearby in Marsiling and Choa Chu Kang said they have spotted motorcyclists riding along the park connectors to known spots where the illegal traders are hiding.

The peddlers will come out of their hiding spots and sell the contraband items in an exchange that lasts less than two minutes.

It comes amid a spike in seizures, with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Singapore Customs confiscating 3.22 million packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in 2023, compared with 2.16 million packets in 2022, and 1.95 million packets in 2021.

The authorities also seized 7,700kg of chewing tobacco in 2023, compared with 4,500kg of the illicit item in 2022 and 1,500kg in 2021.

Ms Adeline Tay, who often jogs along the park connector in Mandai Road in the evenings, said she has seen the suspicious trade herself.

"Motorists often stop suddenly on the roads or ride their motorcycles on the jogging path to quickly buy the (contraband) cigarettes. "When motorcycles come onto the jogging path, we have to quickly get out of their way to avoid getting hurt," added Ms Tay, 32.