Smuggler told: Pay K30,000 or go to jail

By DAPHNE WANI
A man, who admitted to being part of a syndicate involved in smuggling illegal goods into the country, was fined K30,000 by the Waigani District Court yesterday.
Ian Wang Yan refused to reveal to police other members of the group, including locals who had assisted him.
He admitted to being an agent of the illegal group which smuggled cigarettes and other contraband items.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar ordered Yan, 42, from Longtian in Fujian, China – and charged with smuggling in 121 cartons of cigarettes – to pay K30,000 within 30 days or spend three years in jail.
When sentencing Yan, Bidar said there was a trend of illegal smuggling of contraband and counterfeit goods into the country.
He said a recent raid in Goroka by police officers from Mt Hagen was a clear indication that illegal smuggling existed in the country and there was a trend.
He said Yan’s sentence should be seen as a signal or warning to other foreigners operating businesses in the country.
Bidar also recommended to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration for Yan to be deported after serving his sentence.
The court ordered the return of Yan’s passport and permits and ordered for the contraband goods to be destroyed by the court after 30 days.
Yan admitted smuggling 121 cartons of cigarettes which were stored in a building along Kennedy Estate in Port Moresby.
He also admitted smuggling into the country other illegal items such as guns, ammunitions, pornographic material and drugs and bringing in duplicated documents such blank bank savings cards, drivers licences, work permits, passports and duplicated motor vehicles registration papers bearing duplicated model numbers.
Police prosecutor Chief Sergeant Eafeari Pirika told The National that Yan was charged under the PNG Customs Act and the charge had a much higher penalty for foreigners.
He said the penalty for smuggling under the Customs Act was a fine of not more than K50,000 or imprisonment for a term less than 10 years.
He said the criminal code imposed a penalty of only K200 fine for counterfeit goods and most foreigners charged with the offence got away easily.