Wine And Cigarette Smuggler Fined $2,080

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Man who tried to smuggle several bottles of wine and packets of cigarettes into Brunei Darussalam ended up paying a fine of $2,080 or one-month imprisonment in default after he admitted to committing the offence three days ago.
The defendant, Khaw Chin Hock, 51, who appeared before the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate's Court yesterday pleaded guilty to concealing 15 bottles of white wine and 80 packets of 'Era' cigarettes in his employer's car.
The Royal Customs and Excise Department Prosecuting Officer said all the uncustomed goods were found concealed by the defendant who is a Malaysian in various parts of the car by customs officers who detained the defendant's car at the Kuala Lurah Customs checkpoint upon his arrival from Limbang.
The wine and the cigarettes estimated to be worth $122 were ordered to be forfeited to the state for destroyal. The defendant paid the fine.
In Brunei Darussalam, in the case of unexcisable goods, such goods being dutiable goods, a fine of not less than six times the amount of the excise duty or $40,000, whichever is the lesser amount, and of not more than 20 times the amount of excise duty or $40,000, whichever is the greater amount, and for a second or any subsequent conviction, to such fine, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both could be imposed if the defendant is convicted.