PETALING JAYA: An Indonesian trader was sentenced to eight months’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday after he pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing of 3,480 sticks of smuggled cigarettes, valued at RM323.04, last week.
Magistrate Mohd Nor Hafidzuddin Yusoff handed down the sentence on Andika Razali, 29, and ordered the man to serve the sentence from the date of arrest, which was Jan 2.
Andika, who is from Aceh, was charged with possession of the cigarettes, which were in 192 packets of various brands, at Jalan TK 4/1, Puchong here at 7.10pm last Jan 2.
According to the facts of the case, he was arrested while opening a table to sell the cigarettes by the road side during a raid by the Customs Department.
In mitigation, Andika, who was unrepresented, said he had to support his parents and siblings who were in Aceh.
Prosecuting officer from the Customs Department Khairunnisa Ibrahim prosecuted.
In the same court, a Bangladeshi man, Gaes Uddin Khan, 45, pleaded not guilty to possession of 1,160 sticks of cigarettes of various brands, valued at RM99.20 at Quality Magazine Store at Jalan Bukit 1½ here at 4.10pm last Jan 2.
The court, in setting Feb 13 for mention, allowed the accused, represented by lawyer Datuk Suraj Singh, bail of RM4,500 in two sureties and also ordered him to surrender his passport to the court.
Gaes Uddin was also ordered to report himself at the Petaling Jaya police station pending disposal of the case.
Both the offences were framed under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 and punishable under Section 135(1)(v)(aa) of the same law. – Bernama
