Illegal tobacco dealers held

MUSCAT: The Preliminary Court, on the appeal of the Public Prosecution at Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, sentenced a man to two months in jail and deportation from the country, besides slapping a fine of OMR100, for selling cigarettes that did not match with the specified standards. The seized goods were also ordered to be confiscated.   The accused was arrested by the Directorate of the Consumer Protection in South Sharqiyah governorate during an inspection drive which the directorate carried out to find if some cigarettes that did not comply with the standards and non-smoking tobacco norms were being sold in violation of the Consumer Protection Act.  In another case, the court slapped a fine of OMR1,000 against a Bangladeshi national and ordered his deportation for selling non-smoking tobacco and also ordered confiscation of the goods.  Similarly, the court also issued three judgments against three other Bangladeshis accused of violating the Consumer Protection Act and related orders regarding sale of  Afzal and Paan Bahar non-smoking tobacco, Maher Light and Maher Gold cigarettes. These  goods were seized from South Sharqiyah and the accused were fined OMR600.