Man caught with 226kg of meat in luggage at Changi Airport, fined $17,500
Staff Writer
·Editorial team
Thu, 29 September 2022 at 12:37 pm·1-min read
A traveller from China was fined $17,500 after he was caught with 226kg of meat in luggage at Changi Airport. (PHOTO: Singapore Food Agency/Facebook)
SINGAPORE — A traveller from China was fined $17,500 in court on Thursday (29 September) for illegally importing 226kg of chicken, beef, pork, mutton and rabbit meat products stuffed in his luggage into Singapore.
Eight luggage belonging to Wang Liansheng were intercepted on 8 June this year by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers, SFA and ICA said in a joint statement. They were found to contain the meat products, which were seized and destroyed.
Food can only be imported by licensed importers, with all consignments required to be declared alongside a valid import permit under SFA’s requirements.
“Illegally imported food products are of unknown sources and pose food safety risk,” the statement said. Only meat from accredited sources in approved countries that meet Singapore’s food safety rules can be imported, it added.
A person who is convicted of importing meat products illegally from unapproved sources may face a fine of $50,000 or jail of up to two years or both. For a subsequent conviction, the sentence is a fine of up to $100,000 or a maximum jail term of three years or both.
