KUCHING: A 21-year-old convenience store employee was fined RM500, or one month’s imprisonment in default, after he was found in possession of cigarettes and beer suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
Rooseveltd Edison Hosen pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan.
He was charged under Section 37(1) of the Minor Offences Ordinance of Sarawak 1958 for possessing items reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and failing to satisfactorily explain how he came into possession of them.
The offence carries a penalty of up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine of RM500.
According to the facts of the case, police arrested Rooseveltd at about 8 pm on February 25 at a convenience store along Jalan Rubber, where he was working as a staff member.
During the operation, officers seized various types of cigarettes stored in cartons as well as three cartons of beer, which were believed to be untaxed.
In total, 95 cartons of cigarettes, 243 packets of cigarettes and three cartons of beer were confiscated during the raid.
Investigations later revealed that Rooseveltd admitted he had been selling the seized items at the premises without the knowledge of his employer.
The prosecution was conducted by Ahmad Fauzulufti Suriani, while Rooseveltd was unrepresented.
