Besides good deals and food, there’s one other thing Singaporeans love.
Really cute animals.
Which explains why there are people doing things like this.
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Animal Smuggling
On 10 Aug at around 7 am, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) were treated to a strange sight.
A bus that chirps like a real bird.
When the bus came into the checkpoint, ICA officers noticed that the rear tyre looks like it has been modified.
So they decided to check it out.
When they got closer to the area, they heard chirping sounds.
A real-life magic school bus?!
Unfortunately, it was more sinister.
815 Birds
They found a compartment behind the tyre.
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The compartment was about 30 cm in height.
And within the compartment, there are 15 baskets covered with a green mesh.
Each basket has 50 birds cramped into it.
In total, 815 birds were discovered.
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215 Birds Died
But that’s not the worse part: out of the 815 birds, only about 600 survived to tell the tale.
The birds consist of the following species:
- 38 White-rumped Shamas
- 10 Oriental Magpie-Robins
- 141 Oriental White-eyes
- 626 Munias (Scaly-breasted Munia and White-headed Munia)
The White-rumped Shama, in particular, is very rare here and popular among pet traders.
Driver Assisting in Investigations
The driver was brought in to assist with ICA’s investigation. It was discovered that he did not have the necessary permits to bring animals into Singapore.
If caught illegally importing animals, you can get fined up to $10,000, jailed up to a year, or both.
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And if investigations reveal that you’ve caused them unnecessary pain and suffering? Your penalty will be upgraded to a $15,000 fine, jail term up to 18 months, or both.
You Need A Permit To Bring Animals Into S’pore
ICA would like to remind Singaporeans that without the necessary permits, you’re not allowed to bring animals across the borders.
And it’s not just because they want to earn your money.
Singapore’s a pretty small country, and if ICA anyhowly let people introduce new elements into the country, we’re probably going to explode like a powder keg.
Remember, the only thing that the government is keen on bringing into the country is foreign talents to help boost our economies. Everything else is secondary.
How Can You Help?
So, you pity the poor animals that are being brought into the country by unscrupulous people, so how can you help?
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Remember, everything operates by one rule:Â supply and demand.
The only reason why people continued doing this is that there’s money to be earned here.
So take away the supply and you take away the reason for them to continue abusing animals.
When buying a pet bird in a shop, ask for the proper certification. And if you’re looking for a furbaby of your own? Consider adopting instead of buying a brand-new one.
Here’s what NCMPs are, and what to expect after GE2025:
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