Kurung haiwan untuk dijual, wanita individu pertama dipenjara di Singapura

A 28-year-old woman became the first individual to be jailed in Singapore for keeping exotic animals for sale at an unlicensed premises under Section 48(1) of the Wildlife and Birds Act, according to the National Parks Board (NParks). Ng Siew Teng and her husband Callurn Lim, 34, were arrested on December 27, 2023, for involvement in smuggling a puppy from Malaysia to sell at their home in Singapore.

Authorities found the pair had been housing the illegally imported puppies at their residence and profited approximately S$21,000 (S$1=RM3.20) from selling 21 puppies through Instagram. Both Ng and Lim pleaded guilty to five charges under the Wildlife and Birds Act and were each sentenced to 19 weeks and three days in jail, along with a S$5,000 fine on August 5 and September 11.

In another case, a 33-year-old man, Sundra Pandian, was also sentenced for the same offense. Pandian was found to be housing 13 wildlife animals in his home, smuggled from Thailand via Malaysia by a syndicate for sale in Singapore. He pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Wildlife and Birds Act and was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail, including two weeks for a Section 48(1) violation.

The case also involved Chow Chee Hoe, 25, who helped with the sale by gathering the animals from Pandian and selling them to future buyers in Singapore. Chow pleaded guilty to one charge under the Regulations for Pet Shop Premises for Keeping Pets and Other Purposes and was fined S$4,000 on September 1. According to NParks, in both cases, the smuggled animals were kept in poor conditions and suffered from illnesses and injuries, including several dogs testing positive for Canine Parvovirus, a highly contagious virus typically causing severe illness in unvaccinated puppies.

NParks emphasized that the court sentences highlight Singapore's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal wildlife trade and smuggling, stating that all those involved at every level of the smuggling chain, regardless of their role, will be held accountable under the law.