3 M'sian men each jailed for 5 months for importing 85 corals into S'pore without permit

The three delivery men did not check to see if the goods in their vehicle tallied with the permit list given to them.

Natalie Ong

October 17, 2024, 06:22 PM

Three Malaysian men — Khairul Ikmal Kamisan, 25, Wan Mohd Azizi Abdul, 20, and Dahlan Yahya, 43 — have been sentenced to five months' jail each on Oct. 14 for illegally importing corals into Singapore without the necessary permits.

The men had been tasked to bring the corals from Malaysia to Singapore when they were stopped by Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers at Tuas Checkpoint on Jul. 11, 2024.

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Khairul was the main driver, while the two others were also drivers who would alternate with him.

A total of 29 packets containing 85 hard and soft corals and two coco worms were found in the boxes — one of the largest seizures of corals to date, shared the National Parks Board (NParks).

Men did not check the permit list given to them

According to court documents, all three accused were employed as drivers for a logistics company based in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The trio were tasked with delivering goods to various buyers in Singapore, and would receive instructions through text messages from their supervisors whom they referred to as "Abang Yus" and Mazman, the owner of the company.

On Jul. 11, the three men reported for work as per usual, and were given a copy of a cargo clearance permit.

However, none of the men checked to see if the goods in the vehicle tallied with what was listed in the permit.

They had previously made at least two deliveries of a package to the same recipient in Singapore, whereby instructions had included a phone number with the notation "corals".

In addition, investigations found that "Abang Yus" had "made specific mention" in describing the location of the hidden corals, and the boxes had been arranged in a manner to conceal them from view.

Officers found the corals inside a white box, which was concealed in another box, in the cargo container of the vehicle.

Import permit required

According to the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA), all hard or stony corals require a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) import permit to be issued by the Director-General of Wildlife Trade and Control before they can be imported in Singapore.

The ESA helps to control the importation and exportation of animal and plant species listed under the CITES agreement.

While the soft corals and worms do not fall into the same categorisation as the hard corals, they are defined as "animals" under the Animals and Birds Act.

A separate license, issued by the Director-General, Animal Health and Welfare, is therefore required as well.

The men did not have any of the required permits.