A 41-year-old Indonesian man was fined a total of BND107,000 after pleading guilty to multiple customs and excise offences involving cigarettes and liquor.
Agus Kristanto would have to serve 50 months’ jail in default of payment of the fine.
The defendant was produced before Magistrate Muhammad Qamarul Affyian bin Abdul Rahman in the Magistrate’s Court today where he faced six charges under Section 146(1)(d) of the Excise Order 2006 for possessing dutiable goods without lawful authority.
The charges arose from an enforcement operation conducted at about 7.20pm on February 16, 2025 by enforcement officers from the Law Enforcement Division (Bandar Seri Begawan Branch), Royal Customs and Excise Department.
The Customs prosecutor informed the court that raids were carried out at a restaurant and workers’ quarters in Lambak along Jalan Utama Berakas, as well as a rented room in Kampong Salambigar.
Seized during the operation were 92 cartons, 15 packets and 23 sticks of cigarettes of various brands, along with 32 bottles of liquor of various types.
Upon conviction, the court imposed fines of BND24,470 or serve 14 months’ imprisonment in default of payment, for the first charge; BND5,000, or five months’ imprisonment, for the second; BND62,530, or 16 months’ imprisonment, for the third; and BND5,000 each, or five months’ imprisonment, for the fourth, fifth and sixth charges.
All cigarettes and liquor were ordered forfeited and disposed of by the Government. Cash amounting to BND445 and SGD160, as well as two mobile phones, were also forfeited for further action.