BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: An Indian national has been sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment for failing to take reasonable steps to ascertain that cash he delivered was proceeds of crime.
The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), in a joint statement, said Jahir Hussain Amanullah, 51, pleaded guilty on June 25 to a charge under Section 3(1)(a) of the Criminal Asset Recovery Order (CARO), 2012 before Magistrate Muhammad Qamarul Affyian Abdul Rahman.
The charge involved the delivery of BND230,000 in cash, which the accused failed to verify as being linked to criminal proceeds.
A further similar offence involving BND219,000 was taken into consideration for sentencing under Section 13A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Investigations by the Cybercrime Investigation Division of the RBPF’s Criminal Investigation Department found that the offences were part of a coordinated cross-border scheme involving multiple individuals.
The court heard that Jahir collected cash from different individuals at separate locations in Brunei Darussalam before handing the money over to two Malaysian nationals.
Investigators found that he failed to make reasonable enquiries into the source of the cash, the identities of those involved or the purpose of the transactions, despite circumstances that should have raised concerns.
The funds were later moved out of Brunei Darussalam and remain unrecovered.
In sentencing, the magistrate noted that while the accused did not organise the scheme or benefit from the proceeds, his role as a courier was essential in facilitating the movement of illicit funds.
The court found that his failure to make any enquiries reflected a serious disregard for his legal responsibilities, while the collection of cash from multiple locations before delivery to foreign nationals indicated a planned and coordinated operation rather than an isolated incident.
Given the significant amount of money involved and the cross-border nature of the offence, the court placed emphasis on general deterrence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Syafina Abd Hadzid appeared for the Public Prosecutor. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
