A total of 138 traders were compounded RM500 each for selling loose cigarettes during a two-day operation mounted by the Health Ministry on Sept 27 and 28. Director-General of Health Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said those who failed to pay the compounds would be charged in court and fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years upon conviction.
“The ministry has received numerous complaints about traders selling loose cigarettes, especially to teenagers and schoolchildren. “Hence, we have carried out a national-level enforcement operation under the Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 for two days, which began on Sept 27. “The operation focused on the enforcement of Regulation 9, which prohibits the sales of loose cigarettes,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Dr Hasan said 2,202 premises nationwide, including retail shops, mini markets, restaurants and food stalls, were inspected throughout the operation. He said four traders were also issued with compounds for selling illegal cigarettes. “A total of 141 packs of illegal cigarettes were also seized from them,” he said. Dr Hasan said the ministry would continue carrying out the enforcement activities to control the sales of tobacco products and to protect the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
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