BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brunei police have intercepted and seized 900 cartons of contraband cigarettes on the nation's waterways, according to the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).
According to the local daily Borneo Bulletin on Saturday, Marine Police personnel detected two suspicious boats on the Bunga River and initiated a pursuit as the suspicious boats sped off instead of stopping for police check on Thursday. One of the boats managed to escape and the other was found abandoned. Authorities discovered 900 cartons of cigarettes on the abandoned boat.
Tobacco production are subject to strict regulation in the sultanate according to Brunei laws, and heavy duties are imposed on imported cigarettes, and those who are convicted of tobacco smuggling will face huge fines or imprisonment. ■
