Feb 8, 2011
Dog smuggler jailed and fined
By Khushwant Singh
Sixteen pedigree puppies were found hidden inside a speaker unit. The court heard that the puppies were transported in fairly bad conditions, and two of the poodles died while in quarantine. -- PHOTO: ICA
HE MADE five successful trips smuggling in puppies since December last year but his luck ran out on Jan 28.
A check by officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and Central Narcotics Bureau working together with the K9 dog unit uncovered 16 puppies hidden in a specially-built speaker compartment in the boot of the Toyota Wish vehicle driven by Liow Kar Hong at the Woodlands Checkpoint at 2.30pm.
On Tuesday, the 35-year-old Malaysian was jailed three months and fined $16,000, or serve an additional four months in jail in lieu.
Prosecuting officer Yap Teck Chuan of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) had asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence as Liow could have introduced rabies into Singapore, which has been free of any outbreak of the fatal disease since 1953.
The district court had earlier heard that in mid December Liow came to know a certain Ah Wong, who was in the business of smuggling puppies.
Liow would then drive in with the pups in the Toyota Wish and meet a Singaporean contact, known to him only as Ah Lai, at a car park in Pasir Ris. The other man would drive off the Malaysian-registered multi-purpose vehicle, returning it later without the dogs.
The 16 canines he was caught with were all pedigree puppies. There were seven red poodles, four bull dogs, three Shih Tzus and two pugs inside the speaker unit. The court heard that the puppies were transported in fairly bad conditions, and two of the poodles died while in quarantine.
[email protected]
