The 43-year-old Malaysian driver of the vehicle was detained by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and handed over to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) to facilitate investigations.
The incident occurred about 9pm.
In a joint news release today, the ICA and AVA said investigations were underway to determine why there was an attempt to smuggle the puppies into the republic.
According to the authorities, animals smuggled into Singapore are of unknown health status and may introduce diseases such as rabies, into the republic.
The importation of any animal or live bird without an AVA permit is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of S$10,000 (RM31,619) and/or imprisonment of up to a year, said ICA and AVA.
The ICA and AVA have reminded travellers against bringing live animals, including birds and insects into Singapore without a proper permit.