S'porean woman, 41, pays for dog delivery from M'sia, gets S$7,000 fine for abetting animal smuggling

A woman was found guilty of abetting animal smuggling after she purchased an illegally imported dachshund from two advertisers, who promised her a "very attractive" price.

This is the first case in which the National Parks Board (NParks) has prosecuted a buyer for abetting animal smuggling.

41-year-old Singaporean Tok Su Wen was charged with instigating Soon Boon Khong and Reina Wong Si Qi, both 28 years old, to smuggle a dachshund into Singapore.

She agreed to purchase the dog despite being told that the dog would not be imported into Singapore through legal means.

A legally purchased dachshund can cost around S$5,000 and S$9,000 in Singapore, according to online searches.

For her offence, Tok was fined S$7,000 on Dec. 4, 2024.

Contacted through Telegram

According to court documents, Soon, Wong and Tok were members of various Telegram chat groups where advertisements of animals for sale were posted.

Tok reached out to Soon and Wong in January 2023 when she saw their advertisement for the sale of dogs.

Soon and Wong told Tok that the animals were from a pet farm in Kuala Lumpur.

They also told Tok that the animals were imported illegally.

Despite this, Tok agreed to proceed with the purchase, and paid a deposit of S$200 to the duo.

The dog was then transported from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, where it would undergo health checks and be collected.

On Feb. 2, 2023, Soon and Wong collected the dachshund, along with a pomeranian, from a pet shop in Johor Bahru.

However, when the duo arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint at about 6pm, their vehicle was searched.

The dogs were found at the footrest of the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

We shldn't contribute to demand for illegally imported animals: NParks

In a statement, NParks said the smuggling and illegal trade of pets compromises animal health and poses a threat to public health.

They strongly encourage prospective pet owners to adopt their pets from animal welfare groups or to purchase their pets from licensed pet shops instead of through unsolicited means and unknown sources, as the health status of the animals is unknown.

"The well-being of smuggled animals is also often compromised by poor conditions during the smuggling process," NParks said.

"Buyers who abet the illicit importation of their pets into Singapore may also end up facing prosecution," they added.

Pet owners, businesses and the public have a shared responsibility to safeguard animal health and welfare by not contributing to the demand for illegally imported animals, NParks reiterated.

Top photo via NParks