The Royal Customs and
Excise Department (RCED) apprehended several offenders in three recent
incidents, and confiscated undeclared items such as beauty products and
contraband.
On July 16, customs officers at the Sungai
Tujoh Control Post in Kuala Belait intercepted 76 boxes of various
beauty products, 48 bottles of Anti-Rust spray and nine boxes of
electrical appliances that were not stated in the Customs Import
Declaration Form.
The following day, the
customs law enforcement unit conducted a raid on a staff house and
store-room in Kampong Negalang, Temburong District, where two Indonesian
men aged 27 and 46 were detained for the alleged possession of one
carton, 26 packs and 16 sticks of cigarettes in various brands.
On July 19, customs
officers at the Brunei International Airport Cargo Centre (BIACC) found
that customs agent companies had failed to declare several items in the
Customs Import Declaration Form, during two separate routine
inspections.
Among the undeclared items
were eight watches including one smart watch, one push-and-pop toy, six
boxes of herbal tea requiring a permit from the Brunei Darussalam Food
Authority (BDFA), and 33 boxes of beauty care products which require a
permit from the Department of Pharmaceutical Services at the Ministry of
Health (MoH).
On the same day, following a
public tip-off, a 49-year-old permanent resident was apprehended for
the possession of more than 50 cartons of cigarettes in various brands
at a private school in Kuala Belait.
Bringing commercial and
private commodities into the country without a valid declaration form is
an offence under the Customs Order 2006 and Excise Order 2006. If
convicted, the custom agencies involved are liable to a compound fine
not exceeding BND5,000, or prosecuted and have their license permits
revoked.
Members of the public are
urged to steer clear of smuggling activities or the import-export of
contraband and prohibited items without the authorisation from the
relevant agencies, which are offences under Section 146 of the Excise
Order 2006.
To report smuggling activities or violations of Customs regulations, call 8714422/8721422 or visit the nearest Customs office.
The identities of the informants will be kept strictly confidential.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin, July 21, 2021