From: Channel News Asia
The High Court on Tuesday laid down sentencing benchmarks for customs offences involving the smuggling of more than two kilogrammes of tobacco products.
SINGAPORE: The High Court on Tuesday laid down sentencing benchmarks for customs offences involving the smuggling of more than two kilogrammes of tobacco products.
Chief Justice (CJ) Sundaresh Menon said hitherto there has not been any pronouncement setting out appropriate sentencing benchmarks for such offences.
The jail sentence range starts from three to six months for tobacco products weighing 2kg to 50kg, to 30 to 36 months’ jail when the quantity smuggled in goes beyond 400kg.
| Quantity of Tobacco Product (kg) | Sentencing Range (months) |
| 2-50 | 3-6 |
| 51-100 | 6-12 |
| 101-200 | 12-18 |
| 201-300 | 18-24 |
| 301-400 | 24-30 |
| > 400 | 30-36 |
The benchmarks apply when three criteria are met. First, that the offender was a first-time offender; second, the offender pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity; and third, the offender’s role was limited to pure importation.
