SINGAPORE: A man who smuggled five Pomeranian puppies into Singapore from Malaysia by placing them in a plastic container inside a car boot in 2023 has been sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail.
On Friday (Jan 16), Bryan Peh Jia Hao, 22, admitted to multiple charges of illegally importing the dogs and failing to ensure they were not confined in a manner that subjected them to unnecessary suffering.
In October 2023, Peh was approached by his friend, Callurn Lim Yuan Jin, who asked if he was interested in smuggling in puppies from Malaysia for S$250 to S$300 per animal.
Lim was allegedly in a scheme with his wife, Ng Siew Teng, to illegally import puppies from Malaysia to sell them in Singapore.
Peh agreed, and carried out several illegal importations for Lim and Ng that month.
On Dec 27, 2023, while Peh was attempting to smuggle five puppies into Singapore, he was stopped by an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer for a random check.
During the inspection, two puppies were found in a pet carrier enclosed in a plastic storage container in the boot of the car. Another three puppies were found in the same container, but outside the pet carrier.
The dogs were examined and were found to have experienced unnecessary suffering as they were subjected to cramped conditions with insufficient ventilation.
The court heard that all five puppies tested positive for canine parvovirus, which typically causes vomiting and diarrhoea and could result in death.
National Parks Board prosecutor Fadhlina Idris said Peh disregarded the requirements and licences needed to legally import dogs into Singapore, noting that the puppies suffered in the vehicle for at least two hours.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Paul of Cross Street Chambers, who goes by only one name, said Peh made attempts to minimise the puppies’ suffering by placing towels in the container and putting down the backseat to let air conditioning enter the boot.
“He was just an errand boy, and he had no share of profits from the couple’s scheme,” said Paul, referring to Lim and Ng, whose cases are still before the courts.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, offenders caught importing any animal or bird without a licence may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
