From Malay Mail · · 1m 30s
Singapore woman jailed for illegal animal sales
First custodial sentence handed down for selling animals at unlicensed premises under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act.
In brief
First custodial sentence handed down for selling animals at unlicensed premises under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act. Singapore is cracking down on illegal animal smuggling and sales, with courts now imposing jail time rather than just fines. Originally reported by Malay Mail.
First jail term for illegal animal sales
A 28-year-old woman in Singapore became the first person jailed for keeping animals for sale at unlicensed premises under the Animals and Birds Act.
Couple smuggled puppies from Malaysia
Ng Siew Teng and her husband Callurn Lim illegally imported puppies from Malaysia and sold 21 of them through Instagram, earning about 21,000 Singapore dollars.
Caught at Woodlands Checkpoint
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers discovered five smuggled puppies, including two hidden in a pet carrier inside a plastic storage container, during a vehicle inspection on December 27, 2023.
Sentences handed down in 2024
Ng and Lim each received 19 weeks and three days in jail plus a 5,000 Singapore dollar fine. The fine included the maximum penalty for keeping animals at unlicensed premises.
Heavier sentence in separate case
Sundra Pandian received 24 weeks in jail for keeping 13 smuggled animals at his residence. The animals came from Thailand through Malaysia via a transnational syndicate.
Facilitator also prosecuted
Chow Chee Hoe, 25, helped sell the smuggled animals by collecting them from Pandian and reselling them. He was fined 4,000 Singapore dollars for his role.
What to remember
Singapore is cracking down on illegal animal smuggling and sales, with courts now imposing jail time rather than just fines.
