Kurung haiwan untuk dijual, wanita individu pertama dipenjara di Singapura

A 28-year-old woman has become the first individual to be jailed in Singapore for keeping exotic animals as pets for sale on premises, under Section 48(1) of the Animals and Birds Act. According to the National Parks Board (NParks), Ng Siew Teng and her husband Callurn Lim, 34, were detained on December 27, 2023 for involvement in smuggling a puppy from Malaysia to sell in Singapore.

Investigations found the couple had harbored the smuggled puppies at their residence and earned around S$21,000 (S$1=RM3.20) from selling 21 puppies through Instagram. Both Ng and Lim pleaded guilty to five charges under the Animals and Birds Act and were each sentenced to 19 weeks and three days in jail, along with a fine of S$5,000 on August 5 and September 11, respectively.

In another case, a 33-year-old man, Sundra Pandian, was also sentenced for the same offense. He was found to be harboring 13 exotic animals in his residence, which were smuggled from Thailand through Malaysia by a syndicate for sale in Singapore. Pandian pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Animals and Birds Act and was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail on September 17, including two weeks for violating Section 48(1).

The case also involved Chow Chee Hoe, 25, who assisted in the sale by collecting the animals from Pandian and selling them to potential buyers in Singapore. Chow pleaded guilty to one charge under the Wildlife and Animals (Pet Shops for Pets and Other Purposes) Regulations and was fined S$4,000 on September 1. According to NParks, in both cases, the smuggled animals were kept in poor condition and suffered from illnesses and injuries.

Some puppies tested positive for Canine Parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that typically affects unvaccinated puppies. NParks emphasized that the court sentences underscore Singapore's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal animal trade and smuggling, regardless of the role involved.