A Gulf national has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined BD60,000 and an Asian national has been sentenced to six months in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle four tonnes of the banned tobacco (Tombac) into Bahrain.
The goods and the tanker used in the smuggling operation were confiscated.
The Head of the Tax Evasion Crimes Unit at the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution said that the Second Lower Criminal Court issued its ruling in the case.
The details of the incident date back to the Public Prosecution receiving a report from Customs Affairs at the Interior Ministry stating that a shipment containing four tonnes of banned tobacco had been seized.
The tobacco had been artfully hidden inside a tanker in an attempt to smuggle it into the country via the seaport.
The Tax Evasion Crimes Unit began its investigations immediately after receiving the report, listening to the statements of the Customs officer in charge of the operation, inspecting the seized materials, and appointing specialised experts to conduct laboratory tests.
It was found that they contained the banned tobacco (Tombac).
The Public Prosecution also heard the statements of the Customs broker and employees of the two concerned clearance and shipping companies.
Investigations revealed that the second defendant had agreed with the first defendant to change the name of the importer and register the shipment in the name of the institution for which the second defendant worked in the Customs documents.
He also provided false information with the intent of passing the shipment and circumventing the prohibition and restriction provisions, as the first defendant had no right to import it.
Based on the findings of the investigations, the Public Prosecution issued an order to arrest and bring in the first defendant and interrogated the second defendant, who admitted to the charges against him.
Accordingly, the case was referred to the competent criminal court, which issued the aforementioned ruling.
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