SIBU: The Magistrates’ Court today fined a mini mart employee RM200,000 in default of six months’ jail for possessing contraband goods.
Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar also ordered the accused to pay the leviable duty amounting to RM793.20 within two weeks, failing which he had to serve two weeks in prison.
However Justino Lebun, 44, from Kanowit failed to pay the fine.
He was charged with knowingly being in possession of contraband goods comprising 21 cartoons of beers of assorted brands valued at RM721.08. Customs duty leviable by law amounting to RM793.20 had not been paid.
Justino was indicted under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 and punishable under Section 135(1)(v)(bb) of the same Act.
According to the Investigating officer of the Customs Department, Roziah Suhaili who tendered the brief facts of case, on Aug 17, last year at about 10.25am, a party of customs officers from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department Sibu raided a mini mart at Jalan Tutus/Kabang, Penasu.
On arrival at the premises, the party was met by a person who claimed to be an employee. He later called the owner and informed him about the raid at the premises.
During a search, a few cartoons of beers of assorted brands were found.
The goods were then seized and brought to the Sibu Customs Office at Jalan Deshon for further investigation and safekeeping.
On Sept 7 this year, the accused came to the Customs office and identified himself as the owner of the seized goods.
Investigation revealed that the accused had failed to prove that the customs duties on all the seized goods had been paid. And all the goods were found without any tax stamp affixed on each of the items as required by virtue of Item 1, Third Schedule (Part 2), Customs (Prohibition of Import) Order 2017.
The seized goods were then valued at RM721.08, involving import duty of RM2,396.32.
