FIVE grocery shop owners were charged at three courts here, Temerloh and Maran with possession of illicit cigarettes at their premises.
At the magistrate’s court here, Razali Mt Aris, 55, was fined RM9,000 after he admitted to keeping the illegal items of different brands worth RM892.80 at Seven Nine Communication, B-16 Bandar Baru Jaya Gading, here about 7.15pm on July 3 last year.
Magistrate Noor Zaihan Mohamad Ali ordered Razali to serve five months in lieu of the fine.
Earlier, Customs prosecuting officer Nurhafizah Ahmad had sought for stiffer penalty, explaining that the smuggling of cigarettes was rampant.
“Such activities have caused losses up to RM2 billion annually to the country in unpaid taxes.
“The availability of illicit cigarettes has also made it easier for people to get them and encourage the younger generation to smoke,” she added.
At the Temerloh magistrate’s court, a couple admitted to possessing 288 packets of contraband cigarettes worth RM526.40 last year.
Tina Hamzah, 37, and husband Sulaiman Muhammad, 56, of Kuala Krau pleaded guilty after the charge was read to them in front
of court registrar Norita Mohd Noh.
They committed the crime at
No 2, Jalan Songsang, Kuala Krau, at 11am on Feb 21.
In the same court, Ismail Ahmad, 51, from Jalan Bahagia, also pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing 55 packets of illicit cigarettes worth RM90.40 at G259, Batu 1, Jalan Mentakab, at 10pm on March 4, last year.
Norita fixed Sept 10 to mete out the sentence for both cases.
On Aug 15, single mother Suzzana Md Isa, 25, from Felda Jengka 7, was fined RM3,500 at Maran magistrate’s court after she pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing 210 packets of illicit cigarettes worth RM340.96 in a shop at Jalan Matau, Bandar Jengka, at 11.20am on Feb 5 this year.
Magistrate Rini Triani Mohamad Ali also fined another trader, 40-year-old Zalina Mohamad, for possessing 87 packets of the contraband cigarettes worth RM143.12.
Zalina was fined RM1,600 for committing the offence at the Maran District Council shoplot in Kampung Bintang at 11.15am on April 14.