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Snakeskin Sneak-in Stopped
With the help of the radiographic scanning system known as Integrated Cargo Inspection Solution (ICIS), ICA officers at Woodlands checkpoint stopped an attempt by a Malaysian to smuggle dried python skins into Singapore. The Malaysian man had tried to hide the boxes of python skins by placing them in the centre of the large consignment of speaker parts and covering the consignment with a piece of canvas. However, his efforts were in vain as ICIS has the ability to 'see through' the canvas cover and boxes to detect the illegal goods that were hidden inside.
2 On 27 Jul 2005, at about 2015 hrs, the lorry driven by the 36-year-old Malaysian man was scanned by ICIS. The driver had declared that the lorry was carrying a consignment of speaker parts. The scan revealed a darkened image at the center of the lorry, indicating a greater density when compared with the rest of the goods. Acting on their suspicions that there might be other (probably illegal) goods on the lorry besides the speaker parts, ICA officers conducted a thorough check on the laden goods. After removing some cartons of front panels from the lorry, ICA officers discovered 10 packages of dried python skins weighing a total of 563 kg hidden among the speaker parts.
3 The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) was subsequently alerted and the driver and dried python skins were handed over to them for further investigation.
4 The reticulated python is a threatened species (ie. Appendix II) protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Singapore is a Party. Under the Singapore's Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA), the export and import of python skins must be accompanied by CITES permits from the exporting and importing countries. Under the ESA, it is an offence for any person to import and export CITES-protected species without a permit from AVA. Upon conviction, the offence can carry a penalty of a fine of up to $5,000 ($10,000 for repeat offences) per species and a jail term of up to 1 year. The illegal specimens would also be forfeited to AVA.
5 In line with the stepped-up security checks carried out at all checkpoints, ICA will continue to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband such as illegal wildlife. ICA would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 Jul 2005
2 On 27 Jul 2005, at about 2015 hrs, the lorry driven by the 36-year-old Malaysian man was scanned by ICIS. The driver had declared that the lorry was carrying a consignment of speaker parts. The scan revealed a darkened image at the center of the lorry, indicating a greater density when compared with the rest of the goods. Acting on their suspicions that there might be other (probably illegal) goods on the lorry besides the speaker parts, ICA officers conducted a thorough check on the laden goods. After removing some cartons of front panels from the lorry, ICA officers discovered 10 packages of dried python skins weighing a total of 563 kg hidden among the speaker parts.
3 The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) was subsequently alerted and the driver and dried python skins were handed over to them for further investigation.
4 The reticulated python is a threatened species (ie. Appendix II) protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Singapore is a Party. Under the Singapore's Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA), the export and import of python skins must be accompanied by CITES permits from the exporting and importing countries. Under the ESA, it is an offence for any person to import and export CITES-protected species without a permit from AVA. Upon conviction, the offence can carry a penalty of a fine of up to $5,000 ($10,000 for repeat offences) per species and a jail term of up to 1 year. The illegal specimens would also be forfeited to AVA.
5 In line with the stepped-up security checks carried out at all checkpoints, ICA will continue to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband such as illegal wildlife. ICA would like to advise the public against smuggling unlawful goods into Singapore.
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
29 Jul 2005