May 27, 2011
Pictures: Two jailed for smuggling birds, puppies
By Khushwant Singh
The Indonesian had 16 songbirds in his pockets at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. That same day, a Malaysian hid 15 poodle pups in a special compartment in the back seat of his car as he drove into Woodlands Checkpoint. -- PHOTO: AVA
THE Indonesian had 16 songbirds in his pockets at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. That same day, a Malaysian hid 15 poodle pups in a special compartment in the back seat of his car as he drove into Woodlands Checkpoint.
On Friday, both pleaded guilty to bringing in these pets without the permission of the director-general of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
Ho Han Hong, 59, of Tanjung Pinang in Batam, was jailed 2 1/2 months while Muhammad Daniel Shah Lai Abdullah, 30, of Selangor, was jailed 4 1/2 months.
AVA's prosecutor Yap Teck Chuan told the district court the import of birds from Indonesia is currently prohibited due to the outbreak of bird flu there. He said that Ho was a bird trader and was bringing in the Oriental white-eye songbirds - known as mata puteh in Malay - on May 16, for sale to a Singaporean at $25 each.
The Indonesian had been convicted and jailed for three weeks in August 2009 for smuggling in 50 mata puteh birds. Also heard on Friday in the same court, was the case against Muhammad Daniel. The jobless man was to be paid RM$800 ($326) for each successful delivery of the pups to Singapore.
He told investigators that a Malaysian dog breeder by the name of Fei Chai had provided the Proton Wira car and told him to drive into Singapore immediately as the pups had been sedated. Once he cleared the checkpoint, someone would contact him to take delivery of the dogs. As a precaution against the spread of rabies, those bringing in dogs from Malaysia require a licence from AVA.
