RM60,000 fine for man over contraband cigarettes

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Bakhtiar (second right) being escorted out of the courtroom after he wad fined yesterday for possessing 3,780 boxes of contraband cigarettes.

KOTA KINABALU: A man was fined RM60,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday for possessing 3,780 boxes of contraband cigarettes.

Magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim imposed the fine on Bakhtiar Khan, 47, after the latter retracted his plea of not guilty to one of guilty to a charge under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act.

The indictment carries a fine of not less than five times the value of the items and not more than RM20,000 or a maximum jail term of three years, or both, upon conviction.

Counsel Erveana Ansari,who represented the accused,told the court that her client wished to change his plea yesterday and so far the case had gone for trial with one witness called to testify.

The accused was arrested for having the RM5,359.60 worth of cigarettes at a rented house at Taman Kuala Menggatal in Manggatal on January 21.

In pleading for leniency, the accused’s counsel Erveana, submitted that her client was remorseful with what he had done and he wanted to be immediately sent back to his village as his father is sick.

In reply, Customs Department prosecuting officer Nanang AK Lumpat urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence on the accused.

During a previous hearing on November 8, 2018, the prosecution told the court that the accused was supposed to enter his plea on the said charge on October 15, 2018.

However, the accused did not turn up for the court hearing.

He was arrested on November 7, 2018 at Jalan Sulaman and immediately brought to court to face the charge.