SINGAPORE, Feb 6: A Singaporean man was today fined 41,000 SGD for keeping 32 endangered animals, including two Indian star tortoises, one of the country’s biggest seizures of illegal wildlife in 11 years.
Ong Ming Siang, 33, received one of the largest fines ever meted out for such offences for keeping the animals in his apartment in a housing estate.
Siang pleaded guilty to contravening the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act and the Wild Animals and Birds Act today, The Straits Times reported.
The 32 endangered animals included three rare ball pythons, two Indian star tortoises, a slow loris, three black-tailed prairie dogs, two sailfin dragons and five ornate horned frogs.
Acting on a tip-off, officers from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) inspected Ong’s apartment in the housing estate of Toa Payoh North on June 3 last year.
The animals seized were not indigenous and had been brought to Singapore without permits, according to the report.
Further investigations revealed that some of the animals were given to Ong while others were bought by him.
But AVA’s prosecuting officer, Yap Teck Chuan, said there was no evidence linking Ong to any wildlife smuggling syndicate but asked for a heavy fine as there was evidence to show that the animals were for sale.
The offence carries a fine of SGD 50,000 per specimen or an aggregated fine of SGD 500,000 or jail of up to two years.
Singapore is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The AVA said permit was required for any import, export or re-export animal.
Last month, Singapore jailed two Vietnamese men to 16 months each for smuggling African elephant ivory through the city state. The ivory was found in two bags through the airport screening system.
Another Vietnamese man was sentenced to 15 months in jail during the same month for smuggling rhinoceros horns through Singapore.
Last November, the AVA and Singapore Customs stopped 45 tonnes of Indian red sandalwood transhipment through Singapore.
Three 40-ft containers were interdicted on October 30, November 13 and 14 when they arrived in Singapore from India.
The authority also repatriated a consignment of 1.8 tonnes of raw ivory tusks to Africa last July. (AGENCIES)
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