Couple jailed 3 weeks for smuggling dogs into Singapore
On Wednesday (4 June), a man and a woman were each sentenced to three weeks’ jail for smuggling dogs into Singapore from Malaysia for sale.
The couple pleaded guilty to two charges of importing dogs without a licence, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
They had advertised the dogs online and were caught after a customer arranged to buy a dachshund from them.
Dogs were hidden under the passenger seat
The court heard that Soon Boon Khong and Reina Wong Si Qi, both 28, had smuggled a pomeranian and a dachshund into Singapore from Malaysia on 2 February 2023.
Wong was in the front passenger seat, along with a pomeranian and a dachshund hidden behind a bag underneath the seat.
Source: aleksandrkondratov on Canva, for illustration purposes only
They then promoted the sale of the dogs through online advertisements, which caught the attention of a potential buyer.
Source: MS News, for illustration purposes only
Subsequently, the buyer — Tok Su Wen — was separately fined S$7,000 for abetting animal smuggling.
Couple made sure dogs were healthy, dogs were not mistreated
In mitigation, the couple’s lawyer, Tan Cheng Kiong, said his clients only smuggled dogs on two occasions, with no further evidence of other smuggling.
He argued that the dogs were not mistreated and did not suffer from any canine diseases.
In court, Wong also shared that they had ensured the dogs were healthy and vaccinated before bringing them into Singapore.
Source: Roman Budnyi on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Given their clean records, Mr Tan urged the court to impose a fine instead of jail, stating that they had learnt their lesson.
Couple smuggled 4 dogs across 2 occasions
District Judge Wong Li Tein stated that the couple bore even greater responsibility than Tok, as they were the ones directly involved in smuggling the dogs for profit.
Judge Wong also emphasised that they had advertised their services online — meaning that the smuggling was done for trade, rather than opportunistic.
She noted that such acts pose public health risks, especially considering Singapore’s densely populated society, and concluded that a jail term was warranted.
When sentencing, the court also took into consideration two other charges involving the smuggling of a poodle and another pomeranian.
For importing an animal without a license, one can face up to one year in jail, be fined up to S$10,000, or both.
Also read: Man who smuggled 6 kittens in car dashboard to S’pore jailed for 18 weeks
Man who smuggled 6 kittens in car dashboard to S’pore jailed for 18 weeks
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Featured image adapted from MS News.
