- Illustrative photo.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A 60-year-old Malaysian man has been ordered to settle a fine of BND13,000 by the Magistrate’s Court on March 25 for failing to declare RM207,000 in cash while entering Brunei Darussalam through the Sungai Tujoh Control Post.
Failure to pay the fine will result in nine months’ imprisonment.
Johnny Lau Hin Foon, on pleading guilty, was convicted under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Asset Recovery Order, 2012, which requires travellers to report the movement of cash exceeding BND15,000.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Goh revealed that the offence occurred on March 6, 2023, at about 3.15pm when Lau drove into Brunei from Miri, Sarawak in a black car.
A joint enforcement operation involving the Narcotics Control Bureau and Royal Customs and Excise Department led to the discovery of two black plastic bags containing a total of RM207,000 in the car’s centre console and glove compartment.
Magistrate Qamarul Affyian Abdul Rahman heard that investigations unearthed the cash belonged to Lau’s employer, who had instructed him to pass the money to an individual in Brunei known only as “Jess.”
Lau, a carpenter at a company in Malaysia, had no prior convictions. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
