SINGAPORE - A man was fined $8,000 on May 8 for illegally importing meat products from Malaysia.

The offender, Anamalai Anadam, is the partner of Suri Rao Coconut Trading, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a joint statement on May 9.

A lorry with a consignment of frozen poultry, falsely declared as processed food, was detected by ICA officers at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 1, 2022. The case was then referred to SFA for investigation.

The illegal consignment, which was seized, contained more than 1,200kg of frozen poultry, according to SFA’s investigation.

In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA’s requirements since illegally imported food products of unknown sources may pose a food safety risk.

Food can be brought into Singapore only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit, said the authorities.

Additionally, meat and meat-related products can be imported only from accredited sources in approved countries that comply with the Republic’s food safety standards and requirements.

Those who are caught importing meat products without a valid permit can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to a year.

Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000 or jailed for up to two years or both.

ICA said it will continue to conduct security checks to find and prevent illegal importation attempts to keep Singapore safe, while SFA said it will continue to safeguard food safety through its integrated food safety system, which includes strict import regulations and enforcement.