SINGAPORE: A couple caught smuggling dogs into Singapore from Malaysia were jailed on Wednesday (Jun 4).
Soon Boon Khong and Reina Wong Si Qi, both 28, will each serve three weeks’ jail after they pleaded guilty to two charges of importing a dachshund and a pomeranian without a licence on Feb 2, 2023.
Another two charges of smuggling another two dogs – a poodle and a pomeranian – the day before were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The two had advertised dogs for sale online and a woman, Ms Tok Su Wen, had contacted them to buy a dachshund.
Ms Tok was earlier fined S$7,000 (US$5,400) in the first prosecution against a buyer for abetting animal smuggling.
On Feb 2, 2023, Soon had driven from Malaysia into Singapore at about 6pm, with Wong in the front passenger seat. The pomeranian and dachshund were hidden behind a bag underneath the front passenger seat.
In mitigation, the couple’s lawyer Tan Cheng Kiong said that his clients only smuggled dogs on Feb 1, and Feb 2, 2023, with no further evidence of other smuggling.
He added that the dogs were not mistreated and did not have canine diseases.
The lawyer urged the court to fine rather than jail the couple as they were first-time offenders. Jail would be more appropriate for repeat offenders, or in cases with mistreatment or syndicates, said Mr Tan.
He pointed to the pair’s young age and said they have learnt their lesson. In the alternative, Mr Tan argued for a “very short sentence” for the duo.
Addressing the court, Wong said that the two had ensured that the dogs were healthy by checking that they were vaccinated.
District Judge Wong Li Tein found the couple’s culpability higher than Ms Tok, as Ms Tok had committed the offence for herself, but the accused couple smuggled for trade and profit.
Both had advertised their trade, indicating that the offences were not opportunistic, Judge Wong said.
She noted that the offences posed a public health risk that Singapore’s densely populated community could not afford to take. The judge felt that a jail term was warranted.
For importing an animal without a licence, an offender can be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
