SINGAPORE - In a shocking twist that highlights the challenges in battling corruption, a senior security officer, Ahmad Khamis, is alleged to have pocketed at least $4,750 in bribes over 32 different transactions from employees tied to a syndicate smuggling contraband cigarettes into Singapore.

According to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), the 64-year-old Ahmad, who was employed by Pico Guards at the time, is charged with accepting bribes in return for allowing syndicate members to transport their illicit cargo past a security checkpoint at Chevron Penjuru Terminal, a key entry point into Singapore.

The bribes, allegedly received during the period from 2019 to 2022, involved several individuals from Eng Hup Shipping, including Abdul Rahman Abdul Wahab, Vadivalu Dharman, Theku Raja Suresh, and Roslan Selamat. Ahmad's nefarious actions didn't stop there—he is accused of further facilitating the smuggling of a yet-to-be-determined quantity of duty-unpaid cigarettes by permitting a vehicle loaded with these items to bypass security during the early hours of December 24, 2022.

On November 22, 2024, Ahmad was faced with 13 graft charges along with two additional charges under the Customs Act linked directly to the cigarette smuggling operations. With a date set for January 3, 2025, he is expected to plead guilty to the charges against him.

Roslan Selamat, aged 65, has also been implicated, facing four graft charges amounting to $1,000 as well as two under the Customs Act. He allegedly conspired with the aforementioned accomplices to funnel bribes to Ahmad in 2022.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old Theku was charged with four counts of corruption, totaling $700 in kickbacks, as part of a larger conspiracy involving Vadivalu, Abdul Rahman, and others related to Ahmad. The legal proceedings for both Theku and Roslan have been postponed until December.

Court documents have not yet revealed the status of the cases involving the remaining figures: Abdul Rahman, Vadivalu, Rathnakumar Deepan, and Mohd Salleh Ahmad. Each count of corruption carries a hefty penalty, with potential prison sentences of up to five years and fines as steep as $100,000 for offenders.

This scandal not only reveals the depths of corruption within security operations, but it also raises serious concerns about regulatory integrity at vital checkpoints, fueling calls for stricter oversight and more rigorous training for personnel involved in safeguarding Singapore's borders against illicit trafficking. Stay tuned for updates as this story unfolds!