Court. — DayakDaily.com file pic

By Dorcas Ting

KUCHING, Jan 8: An 18-year-old male teenager employed as a storekeeper was fined RM300 or a five-day jail term by the Magistrate’s Court here today.

He pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 37(1) of the Minor Offenses Ordinance Sarawak 1958, for possessing 9,720 sticks of cigarettes and 62 boxes of various brands of alcoholic beverages without reasonable cause, as read before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan.

The charge stemmed from an incident around 11.40 am on October 18, 2023, at a store on Jalan Song Thian Cheok.

The magistrate imposed the sentence after considering the social report presented by the Department of Social Welfare today.

According to the case details, the complainant, a police officer, and his team conducted a raid on a business premises on Jalan Song Thian Cheok. During the operation, they discovered suspected untaxed cigarettes and alcoholic beverages of various brands.

The police subsequently arrested the storekeeper and seized the items as he failed to produce any relevant tax-related documents to the authorities.

Prosecution for the case was handled by Assistant Superintendent Arman Ibrahim, while the accused did not have legal representation. — DayakDaily