December 13, 2018, 06:34 PM 
12 puppies were found hidden in a car boot at Tuas Checkpoint on December 11.
According to a joint release by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the puppies were sedated and were placed into the car's spare tyre compartment.
Some of them were very weak when discovered. Three of them eventually died.
Image by ICA.
The man who smuggled the puppies is a 25-year-old Singaporean.
He was driving a Singapore-registered car. During the inspection at Tuas Checkpoint, an ICA officer noticed anomalies in the car boot. The officer found the puppies after removing the spare tyre and the spare tyre compartment cover.
Because the driver did not possess any valid health certificates or import permits for the dogs, ICA referred him to AVA for investigation. The remaining nine dogs were also handed to AVA to be quarantined and cared for.
Image by ICA.
AVA has strict regulations regarding the import of live animals to prevent the introduction of exotic diseases and safeguard the health and welfare of animals.
Smuggled animals have unknown health statuses and can introduce diseases such as rabies.
Importing animals without an AVA permit is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.
If you want to bring live animals into Singapore, you can find more information or apply for a licence here.
Top image via ICA.
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