SINGAPORE: An illegal consignment of corals from the Philippines has been seized from an importer’s premises, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a joint news release on Monday (Apr 3).
AVA officers seized 75 hard corals and five soft corals on Mar 30 that were wrapped in plastic bags lined with paper and concealed in ceramic mugs. They had been declared as “plastic aquarium ornaments”.
Singapore is a signatory of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), under which hard corals are a protected species. CITES permits are required for any import, export and re-export of protected species, including their parts and products.
While soft corals are not protected by CITES, the authorities said they were also seized as they had been falsely declared and were bundled together with the illegal shipment of hard corals.
AVA and ICA said they acted on a tip-off and worked with a logistics company to follow up on the consignment from the Philippines. It led them to the importer’s premises where the corals were eventually seized.
The corals are now under the care of Resorts World Sentosa, while the importer is assisting AVA with investigations.
A close-up view of the smuggled hard corals. (Photo: AVA, ICA)
“Under Singapore’s Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, offenders can be fined up to S$50,000 per scheduled species (not exceeding a maximum aggregate of S$500,000) and/or up to two years imprisonment upon conviction,” said AVA, adding that it will continue to work with partner local and international enforcement agencies to curb wildlife trafficking.
The authorities also reminded travellers against bringing live animals, birds and insects into Singapore without a proper permit.
