TAWAU: A 24-year-old Customs officer was sentenced to a total of 15 months’ jail by a Magistrate’s Court here yesterday for three counts of stealing cellular phones.
Muhammad Azmi bin Hamdani who is attached to the Lahad Datu Customs Department as assistant enforcer in the enforcement division, pleaded guilty to the charges under Section 380 of the Penal Code which provides ten years’ imprisonment and liable to fine.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Joan Lee told the court that the accused went to City Mobile Telecommunications at Bandar Sabindo about 11am on August 25 this year and fled with a Sony Ericsson XPeria worth about RM979.
The accused pretended to check the phone and shouted ‘Oiii’ while facing outside the shop and ran out with the phone and headed to the fish market. His action was recorded in a CCTV of the shop.
He sold the phone to an unknown person for RM300. He used RM20 for rent at a lodging house, RM210 to pay debts and RM70 for food.
The accused used the same modus operandi to steal a Samsung Galaxy S3 worth about RM2,199 at Miss Call Communication (LG Mobile) in Fajar Complex about 7.25pm on August 27.
On the same day at about 7.40pm, he went to CCM Communication at Dunlop Road and identified himself as a Customs officer and said he wanted to pawn the Samsung Galaxy S3. The shop assistant accepted the phone for RM1,400.
On September 5 at about 6.30pm the accused asked to see a Samsung Galaxy S3 at CCN Mobile Sdn Bhd at Jalan Mahkamah, Fajar Complex. He pretended to ask for the price and when told it was worth RM2,135, he fled with the phone. Two staff chased after him for about 200 meters. He was caught in front of Maybank and handed over to the police.
Edward sentenced the accused to three months’ jail for the first count, six months’ jail and two years of police observation for the second count and another six months’ imprisonment for the third count. He ordered the sentences to run separately.
The same court sentenced a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from the Philippines to three years’ jail and four strokes’ of the cane for possession of drugs.
Abdul Nasir bin Majid was charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 and read together with Section 39A(1)(r) of the same Act which provides not less than two years’ imprisonment and not more than five years and whipping of not less than three strokes and not more than nine.
Joan told the court that the accused was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on January 9 this year for illegally entering the country without any valid travelling document.
He was sentenced to three months’ jail and after serving the sentence on March 9 he was sent to the Tawau temporary detention center for deportation. While at the centre, the security personnel wanted to check his bag that was locked and he told them the key was lost while he was in prison.
The security personnel had to force open the bag and inside was a plastic packet of methamphetamine weighing 12.69 grams.