Two Bruneian men have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars after pleading guilty to separate offences involving the possession of cigarettes, vape products and alcoholic beverages without valid permits under Section 146(1)(d) of the Excise Order, 2006.
Mohd Azri bin Jaffpri, 34, pleaded guilty to 11 charges before Magistrate Syaffina Shahif at the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate’s Court on July 29.
He was sentenced to a total fine of BND766,600, or 134 months’ imprisonment in default of payment.The charges against Mohd Azri arose from multiple enforcement operations between March 2021 and December 2022.
On March 16, 2021, at a parking area in Ban 3, Kampong Mulaut, Royal Customs and Excise Department (RCED) officers seized 328 cartons and four packets of cigarettes of various types, seven bottles and one tin of alcoholic beverages, together with BND9,875 in cash.
On November 14, 2021, at a parking area in Sengkurong, officers seized 117 cartons and one packet of cigarettes, one bottle of alcoholic beverage, and BND1,385 in cash.
On August 30, 2022, at a business premises in Kampong Batong, officers seized 257 cartons and two packets of cigarettes, 71 units of vape products, five cartons of alcoholic beverages, as well as BND2,328 and SGD2 in cash.
On October 14, 2022, at a house in Kampong Kulapis, officers seized four packets of cigarettes and three bottles of alcoholic beverages.
On December 24, 2022, at a junction in Kampong Parit Agau, Royal Brunei Police Force officers from Limau Manis Police Station seized 20 cartons of cigarettes.
Meanwhile, Syazrin Syafie Syahmi bin Suhaili, 26, pleaded guilty to two charges under the same provision.He was sentenced to a total fine of BND181,500, or 28 months’ imprisonment in default of payment.
The charges against Syazrin related to the possession of contraband items seized during two separate incidents on August 30, 2022 and December 24, 2022.
On August 30, 2022, at a business premises in Kampong Batong, the items seized included 257 cartons and two packets of cigarettes, 71 vape products, five cartons of alcoholic beverages, and cash amounting to BND2,328 and SGD2.
On December 24, 2022, at Kampong Parit Agau, 20 cartons of cigarettes were seized during an operation by the Royal Brunei Police Force.
The court ordered all seized cigarettes, vape products and alcoholic beverages to be forfeited to the Government for disposal.