KUCHING: Three young offenders were sentenced to a fine of RM250 each in default one month in prison by the Magistrate’s Court here today for possessing 1,237 cartons of various brands of cigarettes illegally.
All three accused, aged 19 to 20, pleaded guilty to charges under Section 37(1) of the Sarawak Minor Offences Ordinance 1958.
Magistrate Mason Jaro imposed the sentence after hearing social reports from the Department of Social Welfare today.
According to the charges, the trio committed the offence at a premises in Gala City, Tun Jugah Road, at around 3.30 pm on July 23, 2023.
According to the facts of the case, a police team from the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters conducted surveillance on premises believed to be storing smuggled cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
After a few minutes of surveillance, the police then raided the premises and arrested the three accused.
A search of the premises found a total of 1,237 cartons of smuggled cigarettes.
The investigation found that all three accused jointly possessed goods reasonably suspected of being unlawfully obtained.
The investigation found that the three accused either had possession of or delivered goods reasonably suspected of being unlawfully obtained.
