Magistrate Nur Eleana binti DSP Haji Hairol Arni on Monday ordered a 39-year-old Malaysian man to settle a fine of BND3,000 or three months in jail in default of payment for failing to comply with customs regulations, as well as to four months imprisonment and caning, for causing damage to property at the Kuala Lurah Control Post.
Norazman bin Sahat pleaded guilty to the two charges under the Customs Order 2006.
The first charge stemmed from an incident on August 29, at 7.05pm, when Norazman, driving his car, failed to comply with a customs officer’s instruction to stop the vehicle for inspection at the inward section of the Kuala Lurah Control Post. This act constituted an offence under Section 143(b) of the Customs Order 2006.
The second charge was related to mischief, as Norazman deliberately drove through the control post’s automatic gate barrier, causing damage estimated at BND500. The incident occurred shortly after he disregarded the customs officer’s instructions.
The court heard that on the evening of the offence, the customs officer on duty instructed Norazman to stop for an inspection as he was entering Brunei from Limbang, Sarawak.
However, Norazman ignored the instructions and proceeded to drive through the automatic gate barrier, damaging it in the process.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Norazman attempted to evade inspection because he was transporting 50 kilogrammes of rambutan and 20 kilogrammes of langsat without the necessary permits or declarations. The defendant admitted that this was his second attempt to smuggle fruits into Brunei without proper documentation.
Norazman was apprehended later that evening at the Ujung Jalan Control Post in Temburong, where his vehicle was detained. During interrogation, he admitted to the offences, explaining that he feared customs inspection as he lacked the necessary permits from the Customs and Agriculture Department to bring the fruits into Brunei.
The court noted that Norazman had no previous convictions but stressed the seriousness of the offences, particularly the damage caused to public property and the deliberate attempt to evade customs regulations. The penalties were imposed to serve as a deterrent to similar offences in the future. – FADLEY FAISAL
