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SINGAPORE: An alleged cat smuggler’s scheme was foiled when six kittens were found hidden in his car’s dashboard at Woodlands Checkpoint.
Malaysian national Law Wei Bin, 28, was hauled to court on June 7 and handed six charges of importing an animal without a valid licence – one for each kitten.
According to the charges, on June 6 at about 8.20pm, Law was caught with the cats in the Malaysia-registered vehicle he was driving.
The six kittens were found concealed in a modified dashboard compartment. All of them were still alive.
Court documents did not provide more details about how the dashboard compartment was modified or how the alleged offences were discovered.
If convicted, Law faces, for each charge, a maximum fine of S$10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
Law is currently out on bail of $10,000. His case will be heard again on July 5.
In August 2023, a carpenter attempted to smuggle 10 puppies and three kittens from Malaysia into Singapore in a modified compartment under the rear passenger seat in his vehicle.
He was caught at Woodlands Checkpoint during a routine inspection. Five of the dogs died within two weeks, with the cause of their death given as bacterial pneumonia, which would have led to breathing problems.
Wong Cai Long, 25, who had agreed to smuggle the animals to pay off his debts, was sentenced to 40 weeks’ jail in November 2023.
In Wong’s court hearing, National Parks Board prosecutor Shafiuddin Ong said all 13 animals tested positive for highly contagious viruses that are transmitted via faecal-oral contact and cause gastrointestinal disease in dogs and cats.
The prosecutor added that the cramped and poorly ventilated environment in the vehicle’s compartment likely facilitated the spreading of the virus. - The Straits Times/ANN
