SIBU: The Magistrates’ Court here fined a man RM100,000 in default of six months’ jail for possessing contraband cigarettes.
Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar also directed the accused to pay leviable customs duty due amounting to RM7,680 in default of two weeks’ imprisonment, within two weeks.
Mohd Mazlan Mohamad, 32, who opted to pay the fine was subsequently released on Thursday (Nov 11).
He was charged with knowingly possessing prohibited goods comprising 20 cartons of cigarettes valued at RM4,224 at a house in Jalan Tekam here on Sept 23, 2019 at about 11.30am.
The offence is listed under 135(1)(d) of Customs Act 1967 and punishable under Section 135(1(v)(aa) of the same Act which provides for a fine of not less than 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000 whichever is greater and not more than 20 times the value of goods or RM500,000 whichever is greater or imprisonment for a term not less than six months and not more than five years or both.
In outlining facts of the case, investigating officer Roziah Suhaili of the Customs Department told the court that on Sept 23, a team of Customs officers raided a double-storey house.
On arrival, the team met a man, later identified as the accused, who admitted he rented the house. The team introduced themselves and explained the purpose of their visit.
Upon inspecting the premises, the team found an assortment of cigarettes suspected to be contraband kept on the ground floor.
The cigarettes were without tax stamp labelled on each of the packets as required.
The goods were then seized with the accused brought to the Sibu Customs Department for further investigation.
Investigation revealed that the accused was the owner of the goods whereby he failed to furnish any document that stated that the customs duties had been paid.
The seized goods were valued at RM4,224, involving import duty amounting to RM7,680.
