SFA officers seized more than 180kg of illegally imported meat and seafood products. - PHOTOS: SINGAPORE FOOD AGENCY
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A Singaporean man was fined $15,000 (RM51,000) on Thursday for illegally importing more than 180kg of meat and seafood products from China, according to a joint statement by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
In response to queries from The Straits Times, SFA said the 51-year-old man, Man Wee Kong, does not hold a valid SFA licence.
On Aug 10, 2021, ICA officers at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station detected anomalies in the scanned images of a cargo container declared to contain assorted items.
They conducted physical checks and found consignments of meat and seafood products that were imported from China without a valid import permit.
The case was then referred to the SFA for investigation.
On Aug 16, 2021, SFA officers inspected a warehouse at 21 Pandan Avenue where the food items were stored. They seized more than 180kg of illegally imported meat and seafood products.
SFA said illegally imported food products from unknown sources can pose a safety risk.
“Food can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit,” the statement said.
Offenders who import meat and fish products illegally from unapproved sources, or are found to be in possession of such products for the purpose of selling can be fined up to $50,000, jailed up to two years, or both.
Repeat offenders can be fined up to $100,000, jailed up to three years, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
