JOHOR BAHRU: Taxi drivers operating cross-border trips to Singapore have voiced concern over increasing attempts by passengers to use their vehicles to smuggle contraband and illegal items.
The New Straits Times reported on Wednesday that some drivers felt powerless because they lacked authority to inspect passengers’ belongings and risked losing income when detained during investigations.
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On April 3, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority arrested a 28-year-old Singaporean passenger after officers found 26 packets of contraband cigarettes and 40 vapes in a taxi driven by a 70-year-old Malaysian man.
The driver, who was travelling with two passengers aged 28 and 72, was profiled and directed for enhanced checks before reportedly being released later.
Frequent cross-border driver Siew Toh, 56, said drivers could only remind passengers not to carry illegal items because there was no law allowing them to check bags before entering Singapore.
He said drivers sometimes only discovered the problem after being stopped at the checkpoint, adding that detentions lasting up to a week affected their income as vehicle rental and living expenses continued despite not being able to work.
Johor Bahru-Singapore Hired Vehicle Owners, Drivers and Taxi-Cab Association head Mohammad Suhaimi Saidi said drivers were exposed to risks when passengers gave false declarations and urged Malaysian authorities to install baggage scanners or station officers at Johor’s Larkin Terminal to inspect luggage for prohibited goods.
