# 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.
- Title: Singapore woman jailed for illegal animal sales · Malay Mail
- Summary: First custodial sentence handed down for selling animals at unlicensed premises under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act. Singapore is cracking down on…
- Keywords: singapore, animal smuggling, illegal pet sales, animals and birds act, ng siew teng, callurn lim, sundra pandian, national parks board, immigration checkpoints authority, unlicensed premises, puppy smuggling, malaysia
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/singapore/2026/09/16/woman-gets-singapores-first-jail-term-for-keeping-animals-for-sale-at-unlicensed-premises/235443
- Published: 2026-09-16T19:46:51+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: singapore, animal smuggling, illegal pet sales, animals and birds act, ng siew teng, callurn lim, sundra pandian, national parks board, immigration checkpoints authority, unlicensed premises, puppy smuggling, malaysia
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Singapore is cracking down on illegal animal smuggling and sales, with courts now imposing jail time rather than just fines.