The Judiciary Police (PJ) said in a statement yesterday that several recent fires were caused by the careless disposing of cigarette ends, warning the public that offenders face criminal charges.
The statement pointed out that causing a fire by negligence is a criminal act. It noted that according to the Macau Penal Code, causing a fire by negligence is punishable by up to five years behinds bars. If the fire puts others’ life in danger, it is punishable by up to eight years in prison, and if the fire leads to death, or in other aggravated conditions, the punishment would be even tougher.
The statement urges the public to be careful when disposing of cigarette ends, asking anyone who sees a fire to report it to the police immediately.The Judiciary Police investigated 52 fires last year, with 60 percent of them caused by lit cigarette ends.
