Singapore couple jailed for keeping and selling smuggled puppies
In Singapore, 28-year-old Ng Siew Teng and her 34-year-old husband, Kallur Lim, were sentenced to 19 weeks and three days in jail and fined S$5,000 each. Channel NewsAsia reports that Ng became the first person in the country convicted of keeping animals for sale at an unlicensed premises.
Puppy smuggling from Malaysia
The couple were arrested on December 27, 2023, for their involvement in a scheme to illegally import puppies from Malaysia for sale in Singapore. During a random inspection at the Woodlands checkpoint, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers found five two-month-old Pomeranians in the boot of a car driven by their 23-year-old acquaintance, Brian Peh.
Two puppies were kept in a carrier placed inside a plastic container along with three other animals. According to Singapore's National Parks Board, the animals were transported in cramped and poorly ventilated conditions, causing them unnecessary suffering. All five puppies also tested positive for canine parvovirus, a contagious disease that can cause severe illness and death in animals.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The investigation established that Ng and Lim kept the illegally imported puppies at their home, advertised them on Instagram and arranged viewings for potential buyers in a common area of their residential building. From October to December 2023, they sold 21 puppies and made about S$21,000 in profit. Both pleaded guilty to five charges under the Animals and Birds Act. Ng was sentenced on August 5, while Lim was sentenced on September 11.
Separate case involving 14 animals
In another case, 33-year-old Sundru Pandian was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail after pleading guilty to nine charges. Two weeks of that term were imposed for keeping animals for sale at an unlicensed premises — the longest sentence in Singapore for such an offence.
According to the authorities, Pandian was a courier for a transnational network that smuggled animals from Thailand through Malaysia to Singapore. Fourteen animals were seized from his home: 12 dogs, including his Rottweiler, and two British Shorthair cats. The animals were kept in cages and carriers stacked up to three tiers high in the utility area of the home. One dog also tested positive for parvovirus, while several animals required veterinary care.
