Certis officer admits role in 26 cigarette smuggling cases at Jurong Port
A former Certis officer pleaded guilty to graft and leaking deployment schedules, facilitating 26 cigarette smuggling operations at Jurong Port and receiving S$1,572 in bribes over three and a half months.
- Former Certis officer enabled 26 smuggling operations in exchange for S$1,572.
- Confidential duty schedules were shared to facilitate illegal crossings.
- Case uncovered after 2024 checkpoint seizure; multiple offenders already convicted.
SINGAPORE: A former Certis security officer admitted to facilitating 26 cigarette smuggling operations at Jurong Port, receiving bribes totalling S$1,572 over approximately three and a half months.
Muhammad Haaziq Karudin, 34, pleaded guilty on 14 April to one count of graft and one count of sharing confidential work schedule information, an offence under the Official Secrets Act. He is no longer employed by the security firm.
He is the fifth individual linked to the case to be convicted and is scheduled to be sentenced on 22 April.
Role at Jurong Port and early contact
According to court proceedings, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had contracted Certis to deploy security officers at Jurong Port and Tuas Checkpoint.
Their duties included enforcing laws against smuggling and conducting thorough checks on vehicles and individuals entering Singapore.
Haaziq was stationed at Jurong Port when he met crane operator Muhammad Sukaimi Gasali during routine checks in late 2020. The two became acquainted and later developed a friendship.
In early 2021, Sukaimi assisted Haaziq by helping to pay for motorcycle repairs. Haaziq subsequently borrowed money from him on multiple occasions.
Smuggling arrangement and payments
Around July 2022, Sukaimi informed Haaziq of his intention to deal in contraband cigarettes and asked him to “close one eye” when passing through his inspection lane.
Court documents stated that Haaziq agreed and began allowing Sukaimi’s vehicle to pass without proper inspection.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Riasudeen said: “After the first successful smuggling operation where the accused facilitated Sukaimi’s exit from the port with contraband cigarettes, Sukaimi rewarded the accused by transferring between S$50 and S$100 via PayNow.”
In one instance, Sukaimi sent a payment confirmation alongside a message reading: “Thanks for the help, duit Kopi.”
Between 10 August and 25 November 2022, Haaziq received $1,572 in bribes across 26 separate occasions.
Use of confidential information
An essential part of the arrangement involved Haaziq sharing confidential deployment schedules.
This allowed Sukaimi to identify when Haaziq was on duty and to pass through his assigned lane.
“Whenever Sukaimi approached the accused’s lane, the latter would conduct a superficial check on Sukaimi’s vehicle, allowing Sukaimi to pass through,” the prosecutor said.
Discovery and wider investigation
The offences came to light following an incident on 19 April 2024, when ICA officers stopped a vehicle at Tuas Checkpoint at around 4.30am.
The car, driven by Malaysian national Mohd Hafiz Kamarulzaman, was found to contain 22 cartons and 470 packets of contraband cigarettes.
Investigations revealed that Hafiz had communicated with another former Certis officer, Sri Daniah Abdul Razak, via WhatsApp on earlier occasions to determine “safer times” to enter Singapore.
Authorities later arrested Haaziq on 15 July 2024.
Several others linked to the case have already been dealt with in court.
Three former Certis officers — Muhammad Khairul Amir Suhaimi, Sri Daniah Abdul Razak and Mohamad Aziffi Selamat — were prosecuted earlier.
In February 2026, Sukaimi was sentenced to four years and seven months’ imprisonment and fined $5,000.
All five individuals, including Haaziq, were charged in court in 2025.
Court documents did not indicate whether Hafiz has been formally charged or faced legal proceedings.
