BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's police apprehended a local couple suspected of possessing contraband items during a routine stop, local media reported on Saturday.

According to the local daily Borneo Bulletin, police stopped a blue vehicle in the Temburong District of Brunei, and then found a black plastic box containing a carton and 19 sticks of cigarettes, along with two bottles of alcohol.

Both suspects, identified as husband and wife, were taken into custody and brought to the police station for further investigation. The seized items and the suspects were later handed over to the Royal Customs and Excise Department for further action, according to a statement from the Royal Brunei Police Force.

Brunei is a sultanate located in Southeast Asia. The laws in Brunei impose strict regulations on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages to protect the health of its people. ■